Critical Geopolitics and Analyzing of Turkey's Approach toward ISIS

Among the important factors influencing the position of countries, space, power and identity are the main elements of which are shaping critical geopolitical theory; and in the new era, different countries and actors use them in different ways. Considering this issue, the purpose of this article is to use these elements in analyzing Turkey’s approach to ISIS. The research method of this paper is descriptive and analytical. In the first phase, the elements of critical geopolitical theory are described, and then the Turkey’s approach to ISIS has been analyzed based on these elements. The findings of this study indicate that the approach of the Turkish government against ISIL during ISIL's rule can be analyzed on the basis of critical geopolitical elements. The findings of this study indicate that according to the elements of critical geopolitical theory, the Turkish state, based on the metaphor power, by impalpable support from ISIS, was due to weaken the political and regional status of the regional resistance, especially Iran. In the sphere of metaphor of space, Turkey tried to reduce Federalist tendencies of Kurdish and ultimately in the scope of identity metaphor, alongside alienating and weakening Shiite thinking, gradually to display the identity of Islam that in addition to reproducing the origins of Ottomanism's nostalgia, to make the Islamic and regional identity of the Justice and Development Party more institutionalized.