Russian Soft Power in Turkey

Recent academic research on Russian soft power has primarily focused on its influence within the post-Soviet space, highlighting efforts to maintain regional dominance. However, in a shifting global landscape—marked by the relative decline of Western hegemony and growing scepticism toward liberal norms—Russia's soft power has expanded globally. This study fills a key gap by exploring how post-Soviet Russia’s image has evolved in Turkey, a country outside Russia’s traditional sphere of influence. Drawing on empirical data and in-depth interviews, the study situates Russian soft power within the broader discourse of multipolarity and frames it as an alternative to the Western-led liberal international order. In Turkey, where authoritarian tendencies and tensions with the West persist, Russia’s narrative finds a receptive audience. The transformation of Turkish-Russian relations—from historic animosity to strategic cooperation—alongside increasingly positive perceptions of Russia illustrates this shift. However, despite these gains, Russian soft power faces significant limitations: assertive foreign policy, entanglement in regional conflicts, instrumental use of soft power, disregard for local dynamics, and lack of strategic coherence. This research critically examines these complexities, offering a nuanced understanding of Russian soft power’s reach and limitations in Turkey, and contributing to broader discussions on global power reconfigurations.

现有学界关于俄罗斯软实力的研究，大多聚焦于其在后苏联空间内的影响力，并着重探讨了俄方为维系区域主导地位所采取的诸多举措。然而，在西方霸权相对式微、对自由规范的质疑声浪日益高涨的不断演变的全球格局中，俄罗斯的软实力已向全球范围拓展。本研究聚焦于后苏联时代俄罗斯的国家形象在土耳其——一个不属于俄罗斯传统势力范围的国家——的演变历程，填补了相关领域的关键研究空白。本研究依托实证数据与深度访谈，将俄罗斯软实力置于更广阔的多极化话语框架之中，并将其界定为西方主导的自由国际秩序的替代性选择。在土耳其，该国威权主义倾向持续显现，且与西方的紧张关系长期存在，俄罗斯的相关叙事能够获得受众的接纳与认可。土俄关系从历史上的敌对状态转向战略协作，加上土耳其社会对俄罗斯的好感度不断提升，正是这一转变的生动体现。然而，尽管取得了这些进展，俄罗斯软实力仍面临诸多显著局限：其强势外交政策、对地区冲突的卷入、对软实力的工具化运用、对本土社会实际的忽视，以及战略连贯性的缺失。本研究批判性地剖析了这些复杂面向，为理解俄罗斯软实力在土耳其的影响力范围与局限提供了精细化的视角，同时也为全球权力格局重构的相关宏观讨论贡献了学术增量。