Turkey’s Perceptions of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (2013–2017): Media and Think-Tanks Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This article takes an empirical approach to Turkey’s perceptions of China’s proposal to build a Community of a Shared Future for Mankind and begin the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by examining data from Turkey’s mainstream media, think-tanks, academic and business fields, and social media sources. The findings demonstrate that, despite Turkey’s geological position, the degree of concern for a Community of a Shared Future and the BRI is not high enough. There are positive and negative evaluations. The positive evaluation is mainly related to the importance of BRI with regard to Turkey’s economy, business, infrastructure construction and the national rejuvenation, while the negative side is about China’s aim, cultural security and the disputes between the two countries. To deal with such cognitive differences, China needs to boost the publicity of the initiative and form a better understanding about Turkish domestic needs. China and Turkey should also seek to strengthen people-to-people ties.