Türkiye’s foreign policy has long been a subject of fascination, frustration, and sometimes confusion for global observers. Its trajectory over the past two decades-whether described as hedging, balancing, or bargaining-defies easy categorization. While some critics argue that Ankara’s approach is contradictory, others see it as a sophisticated recalibration in response to a changing international order. Either way, Türkiye has emerged as one of the few countries capable of straddling both the Western and non-Western worlds, not by accident, but by deliberate design.

The debate over Türkiye’s multivector strategy took center stage in 2013, when Ankara joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a dialogue partner. The move baffled Western capitals. As a NATO member since 1952, Türkiye’s flirtation with what many in the West considered an “anti-NATO bloc” was interpreted as a provocation. Commentators at the time dismissed the gesture as a bluff by then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, aimed at pressuring NATO and the EU after years of stalled negotiations.

Yet more than a decade later, it has become clear that Ankara’s pivot was never merely tactical. Instead, it was a calculated signal that Türkiye would not allow itself to be confined to the Western orbit alone. By pursuing avenues in organizations like the SCO and, more recently, expressing interest in BRICS membership, Türkiye demonstrated its intent to expand its geopolitical options beyond the Euro-Atlantic alliance system.

Erdoğan’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in China this past week underscores this long-term strategy. Although Türkiye is unlikely to become a full member-its NATO commitments create structural constraints-the symbolism of its presence is undeniable. Türkiye is the only NATO member with SCO dialogue partner........

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