Description
This research explores the underexamined intersection between the concept of middle powers and the Global International Relations (IR) framework, evaluating the analytical insights each offers the other. It examines (1) the limitations that the Global IR lens reveals in the middle power concept, including its Western-centric orientation and state-centric focus, and (2) the limitations of the Global IR agenda highlighted by examining middle powers, particularly its inability to explain how reformist middle powers may misuse Global IR principles to justify populist or autocratic policies. The research argues that, by broadening the concept of agency, Global IR provides a novel perspective for understanding reformist middle powers’ resistance to the liberal international order as a response to Western-dominated IR. Using the case of Turkey, this study contends that marginalization from dominant power structures drives reformist middle powers to pursue status and agency by advocating for a more inclusive and equitable international system.
