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More than a feeling: Emotional responses to international criticism in Erdoğan’s Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2016

Deepa Prakash  and
Asli Ilgit
Deepa Prakash*
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Political Science, DePauw University
Asli Ilgit*
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, International Relations, Çukurova University
*
* Correspondence to: Deepa Prakash, Department of Political Science, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana 46135, US. Author’s email: deepaprakash@depauw.edu
** Correspondence to: Asli Ilgit, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Çukurova University, Saricam, Adana 01330, Turkey. Author’s email: ailgit@cu.edu.tr
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Abstract

Extant studies suggest that criticism of state practices may create ontological crises in states, thus prompting emotional responses. This article examines what happens when target states reject external criticism, and the failure of outside attempts to shame and criticise. We show that recipients can view international criticism as opportunities to consolidate state identity rather than ontological crises. Using Turkey’s foreign policy towards Israel, we focus on the agency of weak states by expanding the range of emotions stemming from non-acceptance of criticism and by emphasising the role of leaders when crafting emotional responses to negative representations.

Keywords

Ontological SecurityIdentityEmotionsCriticismTurkey
Type
Articles
Information
Review of International Studies , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , January 2017 , pp. 130 - 151
Copyright
© British International Studies Association 2016 

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109 Ilgıt, Aslı and Ozkececiler-Taner, Binnur, ‘Turkey at the United Nations Security Council: “Rhythmic diplomacy” and a quest for global influence’, Mediterranean Politics, 19:2 (2014), pp. 183–202 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

110 Crooke, Alastair, ‘After the Israeli flotilla incident, Turkey is the new Palestinian champion’, Ikhvanweb (12 June 2010)Google Scholar, available at: {http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=25230} accessed 23 November 2015.

111 ‘Erdogan slams Israel on start of Arab tour’, Al Jazeera (14 September 2011), available at: {http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/09/2011912221636537643.html} accessed 23 November 2015.

112 ‘Davos’ta büyük gerginlik’, Ntvmsnbc (30 January 2009), available at: {http://arsiv.ntv.com.tr/news/473840.asp} accessed 23 November 2015.

113 Available at: {http://www.turkishweekly.net/print.asp?type=1&id=62914} accessed 23 November 2015.

114 ‘Erdoğan’dan önemli açıklamalar’, Sabah (3 June 2010), available at: {http://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2010/06/03/erdogandan_onemli_aciklamalar} accessed 23 November 2015.

115 Aydıntaşbaş, ‘Erdogan’s Davos outburst is nothing new’; Turgut, ‘Behind the Turkish prime minister’s outburst at Davos’.

116 Turgut, ‘Behind the Turkish prime minister’s outburst at Davos’.

117 Türk, Muktedir (Authority).

118 Ibid., p. 359.

119 Aydıntaşbaş, ‘Erdogan’s Davos outburst is nothing new’.

120 Ibid.

121 Ibid.

122 Steinvorth, ‘A Turkey-Israel clash at Davos’.

123 Erdoğan, ‘Speech to the AK Party parliamentary group meeting’.

124 ‘History will be Israel’s judge, Erdoğan says’, Today’s Zaman (7 January 2009), available at: {http://www.todayszaman.com/national_history-will-be-israels-judge-erdogan-says_163428.html} accessed 23 November 2015.

125 Ozcan, Gencer, ‘The hall of mirrors: Reflections, illusions and realities in Turkish Israeli relations’, Ortadogu Analiz, 2:18 (2010), pp. 36–44 Google Scholar.

126 Ibid.

127 Walt, Stephen, ‘The real significance of Erdogan’s Davos outburst’, Foreign Policy (2 February 2009)Google Scholar; Arbell, ‘The US-Turkey-Israel triangle’.

128 Turgut, ‘Behind the Turkish prime minister’s outburst at Davos’.

129 Arbell, ‘The US-Turkey-Israel triangle’, p. 25.

130 Ibid., p. 27.

131 Meiritz, ‘Erdogan’s “dangerous macho posturing”’.

132 Recep Erdoğan, T., ‘Speech at the Ambassadors’ Dinner Party’ (15 July 2014)Google Scholar, available at: {http://www.akparti.org.tr/site/haberler/basbakan-erdoganin-geleneksel-buyukelciler-iftari-konusmasi/65233#1} accessed 27 April 2016.

133 Munyar, Vahap and Özer, Verda, ‘Erdoğan “saddened” over Obama’s press freedom rebuke’, Hürriyet Daily News (3 April 2016)Google Scholar, available at: {http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-saddened-over-obamas-press-freedom-rebuke.aspx?PageID=238&NID=97234&NewsCatID=510} accessed 7 May 2016.

134 We thank Lerna Yanık for her suggestion on this point.

135 Subotic and Zarakol, ‘Cultural intimacy in International Relations’, p. 916.

136 Zarakol, ‘Ontological (in)security’.

137 Subotic and Zarakol, ‘Cultural intimacy in International Relations’, p. 915.