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The Increasing Militarization of the Aegean Sea: A Two Level Game Analysis of Shifting Turkish Defense Strategies

Strategic Policy and Diplomacy Review · Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 1–15

DOI
10.20956/spdr.v1i1.52275
ISSN
3163-9984
Published
2026-06-27
Publisher
Hasanuddin University
Language
en

Abstract

Turkey’s increasing militarisation of the Aegean Sea marks a major shift in its defence strategies. This study uses the Two-Level Game Theory to investigate the construction process of Turkey's defence approach in the Aegean Sea. This research relies on secondary sources, including news reports and academic journal articles, to examine how Turkey’s military strategies in the Aegean Sea reflect both international pressures and internal priorities. The findings show that Turkey sees Greek militarisation as a direct threat that requires an urgent symmetrical response of equal threat, as the region is highly resistant to pursuing peaceful, mutually beneficial solutions. The study identifies the inherent value of sovereignty and its economic potential as the main drivers of shifting perceptions towards the Aegean Sea, which determine state responses in the territorial dispute. Additionally, President Erdogan has played a central role in promoting the Blue Homeland Doctrine as a strategy used to justify Turkey’s militarisation and strengthen its legitimacy. This study offers insight into strategic shifts in Turkey’s approach to regional security by analysing the interaction among international negotiations, domestic policy, and the negotiator as the bridge between the two.

Keywords

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Munjin Syafik Asy'ariAffiliation unknown1
Patrice LumumbaAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/spyreview/oai, first harvested 2 Nov 2026, last seen 2 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">The Increasing Militarization of the Aegean Sea: A Two Level Game Analysis of Shifting Turkish Defense Strategies</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Rifqillah, Muhammad Nail</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Aegean Sea</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Militarization</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">two-level game theory</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Blue Homeland doctrine </dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">sovereignty</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">Turkey’s increasing militarisation of the Aegean Sea marks a major shift in its defence strategies. This study uses the Two-Level Game Theory to investigate the construction process of Turkey's defence approach in the Aegean Sea. This research relies on secondary sources, including news reports and academic journal articles, to examine how Turkey’s military strategies in the Aegean Sea reflect both international pressures and internal priorities. The findings show that Turkey sees Greek militarisation as a direct threat that requires an urgent symmetrical response of equal threat, as the region is highly resistant to pursuing peaceful, mutually beneficial solutions. The study identifies the inherent value of sovereignty and its economic potential as the main drivers of shifting perceptions towards the Aegean Sea, which determine state responses in the territorial dispute. Additionally, President Erdogan has played a central role in promoting the Blue Homeland Doctrine as a strategy used to justify Turkey’s militarisation and strengthen its legitimacy. This study offers insight into strategic shifts in Turkey’s approach to regional security by analysing the interaction among international negotiations, domestic policy, and the negotiator as the bridge between the two.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Hasanuddin University</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-06-27</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
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	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/spyreview/article/view/52275</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.20956/spdr.v1i1.52275</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Strategic Policy and Diplomacy Review; Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026); 1-15</dc:source>
	<dc:source>3163-9984</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.20956/spdr.v1i1</dc:source>
	<dc:language>en</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/spyreview/article/view/52275/14927</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Strategic Policy and Diplomacy Review</dc:rights>
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