IN SEARCH OF AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE WESTERN-CENTERED WORLD ORDER: NECMETTIN ERBAKAN'S FOREIGN POLICY VISION

Abstract

This article examines Necmettin Erbakan's foreign policy vision as a distinctive antiimperialist and civilizational critique of the Western-centered international order. Departing from conventional realist or pragmatic approaches dominant in Turkish foreign policy analysis, Erbakan conceptualized foreign policy as an ethical and structural struggle against economic dependency, political domination, and cultural subordination. Central to his vision was the construction of alternative networks of cooperation among Muslim-majority and non-Western countries, most notably articulated through initiatives such as the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation. The study situates Erbakan's foreign policy thought within the broader intellectual traditions of Islamic political thought, Third Worldism, and Global South solidarities, highlighting his emphasis on just order and multipolarity. By analyzing parliamentary speeches, policy proposals, and institutional initiatives, the article argues that Erbakan's approach should not be reduced to ideological rhetoric but understood as an attempt to formulate a coherent counter-hegemonic foreign policy framework. In doing so, the article contributes to rethinking Turkish foreign policy beyond Euro-Atlantic paradigms and offers insights into non-Western alternatives to modern international relations theory.