Description
Middle powers have been increasingly exporting autonomous weapons, commonly referred to as drones, into armed conflicts, transforming global warfare through their cost-effectiveness and strategic advantages. This article examines the transformative impact of a major regional middle power, Turkey's expanding drone exports by investigating the populist foreign policy frames used by Turkish political elites, which enable them to position themselves as challengers to the dominance of established arms manufacturers and the international order. Consequently, this study explores how populists in power justify arms sales by demonstrating how the solidarity frames employed by these elites highlight how such sales provide weaker states with opportunities to counter and deter rivals. While the paper shows how solidarity frames in foreign policy are intertwined with an "us versus them" distinction on the international level, by investigating the case of Turkey, it also contributes to debates surrounding the ethical dimensions or drone warfare and the impact of arms sales on human rights.
