Does the hedging strategy change Türkiye’s strategic culture? An evaluation in the context of the SCO and BRICS discourse

This article examines whether Turkey’s recent hedging practices signify a transformation in its strategic culture or merely a tactical adjustment in foreign policy. Building on the literature on strategic hedging and strategic culture, it develops an analytical framework linking foreign policy behaviour to cultural continuity and change. The study situates Turkey comparatively among middle powers and analyzes post-2016 developments, including relations with NATO, Russia, China, and institutional discourses on SCO and BRICS. It argues that Turkey’s pursuit of strategic autonomy reflects hedging behaviour driven by systemic uncertainty, domestic political dynamics, and evolving defence capabilities. However, rather than replacing Turkey’s Western-oriented republican tradition, hedging has reinforced an existing imperial strand within Turkish strategic culture while maintaining structural dependence on Western institutions. The findings suggest that Turkey’s foreign policy exhibits adaptive continuity: strategic culture constrains radical reorientation, even as hedging expands tactical flexibility in an increasingly multipolar order.