Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Toward Russia in the Syrian Civil War

This article provides an interpretive case study of Türkiye’s official foreign policy discourse towards Russia in the context of the Syrian civil war between 2014 and 2024. Grounded in realist constructivism, the study assumes that power is central to international politics and international relations are socially constructed. By combining macro-structural and micro-interactional approaches to discourse analysis, the research traces the evolution of dominant discourses and shared meanings —such as identities, norms, and legitimising narratives—that shape Türkiye’s representation of its relationship with Russia during the Syrian conflict. Attention is given to how pragmatic cooperation and strategic autonomy emerge as key elements of Türkiye’s identity construction. The findings show that pragmatism has become a central component of Türkiye’s self-perception, with Turkish–Russian relations functioning as one of the tools through which the broader vision of a “Greater Türkiye” is pursued. This study contributes to scholarship on discourse, identity, and power in contemporary international relations.