New Security Dynamics and Turkish Transition from Balkan- Turkey Security Complex to Middle East Security Complex

Foreign policy of the modern Turkey was established on a western orientation signified in its NATO membership. However, the end of the Cold War drastically changed Turkey's security dependencies. Zero problems with neighbors and Strategic Depth policies of Justice and Development Party since its ascent to power were the reactions to these changes. Meanwhile, the security dynamics following the Arab spring and the civil wars in Syria and Iraq drastically changed the security priorities and dependencies of Turkey. In this regard, the present paper explores how the new security dynamics in Middle East, especially civil wars in Syria and Iraq, have affected Turkey's security priorities and dependencies.The findings of the paper illustrate that the new security dynamics have convinced Turkey to shift from Balkan-Turkey security complex to the Middle East security complex. This transition has been formed in two periods. In the first period, new dynamics created many opportunities to increase Turkey's regional role in competition with other regional players, especially Iran. In the second period, the expansion of civil wars in Syria and Iraq increased the dependences of Turkish national security to the Middle East security complex. The Kurdish problem and Islamic fundamentalism arose from the power vacuum in Syria and Iraq have been the most important threats linking Turkey to the security complex of the Middle East. The methodology of the present paper is descriptive-analytical, and the data collection method is based on the library and internet sources.