Abstract
Since the early 2000s, when Erdogan's AKP took power in Turkey, changes in Turkish foreign policy orientation have been visible. The focus has shifted towards the Middle East.
This process has been related to the transformation of the Turkish national identity. Erdogan's usage of the Ottoman past, the values of Islam civilization, and understanding of being Turk have increased traditional, conservative, and nationalistic parts of Turkish identity and changed the image of how Turks see their position in the world and how the Middle Eastern counterparts should perceive them.
The main objective of this presentation is to show how Erdogan defines the MENA region in his political discourse in the context of nostalgia for the Ottoman past and how these historical and cultural narratives are used to support the image of Turkey as a leading regional power. The main argument is that Erdogan uses the remembrance of the common Ottoman legacy and shared Islamic cultural values with the MENA region both to strengthen the Turkish political position in the future regional order and to convince Western and Middle Eastern counterparts that Turkey is the most suitable mediator between the West and the Middle East since Turkey is the successor of the Ottoman Empire including its ability to govern different regions.
The presentation will summarize the main ideas Erdogan has put into his rhetoric to broaden the memory of the Ottoman past among the public.