The Role Of Developing Countries In Global Conflict Mediation: A Comparative Study Of Indonesia And Turkiye
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Abstract
Research Aims: This study examines the comparative mediation roles of Indonesia and Turkiye as emerging middle powers in international conflict resolution. It aims to understand how both states construct their identities as mediators, what strategies and motivations underpin their diplomacy, and how domestic and external factors shape their mediation effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative comparative case study design, the research analyzes secondary data from academic journal articles, policy reports, official documents, and credible news sources. Thematic analysis identifies patterns across five dimensions: mediator characteristics, strategies, motivations, contextual factors, and outcomes. The cases include Indonesia’s mediation in the Moro conflict, the Rohingya crisis, and its advocacy for Middle East peace, as well as Turkiye’s mediation in Somalia, the Syria–Israel negotiations, and the Russia–Ukraine war.
Research Findings: The findings reveal that Indonesia employs a normative and multilateral mediation style, emphasizing facilitation, legitimacy, and consensus-building through ASEAN and the OIC. In contrast, Turkiye adopts a more assertive and pragmatic approach, combining humanitarian diplomacy with material leverage and strategic balancing. Both models demonstrate that middle powers can shape peace processes without coercive force, though each faces structural and contextual constraints.
Theoretical Contribution/Originality: The study contributes to the literature on middle-power diplomacy and conflict mediation by illustrating two complementary pathways of Indonesia’s normative legitimacy and Turkiye’s strategic assertiveness as distinct yet effective models for emerging states engaging in peace diplomacy.
Keywords: Indonesia, Turkiye, conflict mediation, middle power diplomacy, qualitative comparative analysis.
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