Reinterpreted liberal norms: Türkiye's anti-Westernism in the Horn of Africa

Abstract

This paper investigates how T & uuml;rkiye, as a regional actor, penetrated the Horn of Africa by adopting an anti-Western approach and reinterpreting liberal norms. T & uuml;rkiye appealed to an anti-colonial discourse, particularly during the ongoing deterioration of its relations with the West. Turkish political elites blamed the West for maintaining colonialist policies in the Horn of Africa while portraying themselves as a benevolent actor inspired by the Ottoman charity culture based on humanitarianism and conscience. In its engagement in the Horn of Africa, the Ottoman charity model, humanitarianism, and conscience became basic concepts of Ankara's narratives. The political elites claimed that T & uuml;rkiye's humanitarian and conscientious approach aimed at revitalizing liberal norms like human rights, democracy, pluralism, and respect for diversity, which the West had abandoned.