| International Journal | Autumn 2011 | 981 | Tarık Oğuzlu Turkey and the west The rise of Turkey-centric westernism Tarık Oğuzlu is a faculty member in the department of international relations at Bilkent University, Ankara, where he focuses on Turkish foreign policy, Turkey’s relations with the European Union, international relations theory, and foreign policy analysis. This article argues that Turkey’s approach towards its western partners, meaning the United States and the European Union, has recently evolved into Turkey-centric westernism. Contrary to the argument that Turkey has begun to turn its face away from the west under the Justice and Development party (AKP) governments since 2002, this article contends that what has changed in Turkey’s approach towards the west is not Turkey’s commitment to successfully complete its western-friendly transformation process at home and abroad, but the decades-old fxation with the idea that membership in western institutions, most notably the European Union, is a must for this to happen. Turkey is also less concerned that its western and European identity be recognized by western/European countries themselves. Turkey-centric westernism questions the idea that Turkey is a mere tool for the materialization of western security interests in other locations. Rather, Turkey is an actor on its own. A more interest-based, rather than identity-related, approach is in place, but, in addition, Ankara is now more self-confdant than ever in its dealing with western actors. The most