Constructing Turkey as a Bridge in Parliamentary Discourses: A Metaphor based on History, Culture, and Geography

For a long time, Turkey has been labelled as a bridge between the ‘West’ and the ‘East’. The inspiration for this metaphor is mainly rooted in Turkey's geographical location, thereby referring to the connection between Europe and Asia. However, what this bridge function exactly entails and how it is constructed remains unclear. This research investigates these issues and demonstrates how Turkish political elites shape Turkey's geopolitical role, identity and nation by the use of the bridge metaphor in Turkish parliament from 1987 to 2017. It illustrates how the bridge metaphor provides meaning to Turkish geography, history and culture, but also how it brings together ‘opposing’ identities – the ‘West’ and the ‘East’ – and construct Turkey's in-between position. Based on various parliamentary topics, including energy security and Turkish-speaking communities outside of Turkey, this study reveals above all the authority of metaphor in parliament. This while also being repeatedly challenged and redefined. In discussing the challenges of the bridge metaphor, this research touches on the tension between discourse and foreign policy, for example in the context of Turkey's accession to Europe and Turkey's growing regional ambitions, as articulated by the current ruling party, among others. Additionally, the research focuses on reactions within the European Parliament regarding Turkey’s identity and geopolitical role in the Syrian Civil War. Taken together, the research illustrates the complexities of contemporary issues on EU enlargement, orientalism, migration, and the fight against terrorism.