The externally oriented and military-focused conception of national security does not fare well when accounting for the insecurities Turkey has shared with other developing countries. Yet, throughout the Cold War era, there was little discussion on the limited relevance of such standard concepts and theories of International Relations when accounting for Turkey's insecurities. The article seeks to explain this with reference to a prevalent policy concern of the time: locating Turkey firmly in the "West". Scholarly writings on security during this period, the article suggests, helped to locate Turkey in the "West" through representing its concerns as aspects of "Western" security - but not as concerns typical to developing countries. The point being that throughout the Cold War, representations of Turkey as a "junior partner" of the United States in the fight against communism not only helped to (re)produce its "Western" identity but also underlay the production of writings on security in Turkey. The article falls into three parts. Part I discusses the issue of misfit between International Relations concepts and theories and "realities" of the developing world and emphasises the significance of historical context for understanding why and how theories and concepts travel between worlds. Part II looks at how the issue of the (ir)relevance of standard concepts and theories was treated in Turkey's International Relations literature during the Cold War. Part III looks at the 1990s debates on Turkey's conception of national security.
Security Studies; Security; Turkey; Identity; Theory