Norm shaper, norm implementer, or norm antipreneur? Assessing Turkish foreign policy towards R2P

Turkish policymakers and elites voiced a commitment to a ‘humanitarian foreign policy’ during the 2000s, signalling Ankara’s intent to actively address humanitarian crises both regionally and globally while advocating for a fairer global order. This article critically examines the practical implications of Turkey’s post-2000 rhetoric on order and justice based on its claim to adopt a humanitarian foreign policy through the case study of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). It questions the coherence and contradiction of Turkey’s humanitarian discourse and actions as well as its proximity to other non-Western rising countries. In this regard, firstly, the study integrates norms literature and the English School’s solidarism–pluralism debate. Then, it scrutinises Turkey’s stance on R2P cases through an analysis of its discourse and voting behaviour. The findings suggest that Turkey’s approach to R2P leans more towards that of a solidarist norm implementer rather than a pluralist norm shaper or norm antipreneur as observed in other rising powers.