Browsing by Author "Yildirim, Nilgun Elikucuk"

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Citation - WoS: 5
Citation - Scopus: 6
China's Charm Defensive: Image Protection by Acquiring Mass Entertainment
(Wiley, 2020) Yildirim, Nilgun Elikucuk; Aslan, Mesut; Energy Systems Engineering; 06. School Of Engineering; 01. Atılım University
Focusing on discussion of China's soft power resources, this article argues that China performs two kinds of soft power strategies in developing and developed countries: offensive and defensive, respectively. While China's charm offensive aims to consolidate her comprehensive power through a development model, aid, investment, traditional culture, foreign policy, and international broadcasting in developing countries, the defensive aspect of China's soft power strategy aims to soften the rise of China with traditional culture by introducing appealing parts of Chinese culture through investments and international broadcasting in Western countries. China applies classical soft power tools in developing countries while she endeavors to protect her image in Western countries defensively. China's alternative defensive approach to soft power is mostly implemented through the acquisition of media outlets, and via the entertainment sector and gaming industry by Chinese-owned companies. However, even in the defensive and offensive bifurcation, if charm attacks result in failure, China could turn take a defensive stance in developing countries.
Citation - WoS: 7
Citation - Scopus: 5
Rigid Boundaries Between Turkey and China: Is Political Mobility Possible?
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2021) Yildirim, Nilgun Elikucuk; Energy Systems Engineering; 06. School Of Engineering; 01. Atılım University
This article examines the rigid boundaries in relations between China and Turkey by applying social identity theory to international relations. It evaluates different networks of political alliance and external cultural-ethnic ties as rigid boundaries between the two countries. Turkey-China relations have been shaped by both inter-systemic and inter-state dynamics. Therefore, to show how social context and the permeability of social structure have affected the nature of bilateral relations, this article divides relations into two historical contexts of Cold War and post-Cold War periods. It concludes that it will be hard to go beyond rigid boundaries as long as each side has its own solutions to problems between the two countries.
Citation - WoS: 1
Citation - Scopus: 1
Silk Road Economic Belt as China's Eurasian Dream: Common Identity or Common Fear?
(Ahmet Yesevi Univ, 2019) Yildirim, Nilgun Elikucuk; Energy Systems Engineering; 06. School Of Engineering; 01. Atılım University
The Silk Road Economic Belt is the key component of China's Eurasian Pivot strategy. In this study, China's Eurasian Pivot is approached as a creativity strategy from the perspective of social identity theory. In order to succeed in its creativity strategy, China is trying to create a common in-group identity with the Silk Road Economic Belt countries through the Chinese Dream. However, the Chinese Dream is not perceived as a common identity by Central Asians and Uyghurs. While Central Asians respond China's economic presence in the region positively, they are afraid of demographic changes and cultural influences that Chinese migration will cause. Therefore, the Chinese Dream has been a common fear for Turkic societies along the Silk Road Economic Belt rather than common identity. This fear could be one of the most important factors that will prevent the success of China's Eurasian Pivot in the long run.
Citation - WoS: 3
Citation - Scopus: 2
Turkey in Between the Eu and China: From Europeanization To Cooperation With China
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2023) Yilmaz, Gozde; Yildirim, Nilgun Elikucuk; International Relations; Energy Systems Engineering; 05. School of Business; 06. School Of Engineering; 01. Atılım University
Turkey has been on the path of EU membership since the 2000s, and the democratization process was well underway during the initial years of its candidacy. However, this trend was reversed substantially, with Turkey growing increasingly authoritarian during the 2010s. This substantial democratic backsliding has led to increasing authoritarian cooperation with the authoritarian powers on the rise, one of which is China, whose increasing engagement and cooperation with Turkey marked an alternative gravity centre for Turkey to be pulled by. This article argues that Turkey, in line with the worsening domestic authoritarianism, has been engaging with the authoritarian powers for survival rather than engaging with the EU, which provided legitimacy to the rule of the AKP during the initial years of its rule.
Citation - WoS: 7
Citation - Scopus: 5
Use/Misuse of Chinese Bri Investment? Bri-Related Crony Capitalism in Turkey
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2023) Yildirim, Nilgun Elikucuk; Yilmaz, Gozde; International Relations; Energy Systems Engineering; 05. School of Business; 06. School Of Engineering; 01. Atılım University
Crony capitalism as a type of capitalism entailing the close relations of political authorities and business circles based on mutual profit maximization is not a new phenomenon in Turkey. However, crony relations have accelerated with the Justice and Development Party (Adalet Kalkinma Partisi - AKP) rule. Despite growing scholarly work on crony relations in the AKP era, the literature remains inward-oriented without analysing the external dimension of crony capitalism, which this article intends to alleviate by providing an analysis of crony capitalism and bringing back the external dimension through an analysis of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-related crony relations. It argues that the case of Turkey demonstrates how the BRI is used to feed instrumental cronyism without the promotion of China and how recipient countries use and misuse Chinese BRI investments to create alternative resources for the government's cronies.