Narratives of Maritime Sovereignty: The Mavi Vatan Doctrine

Abstract

Amid escalating regional instability, the Eastern Mediterranean has emerged as a geopolitical flashpoint, where doctrines of sovereignty and maritime strategy are reshaping the region. This paper investigates Türkiye's Mavi Vatan (Blue Homeland) doctrine as a case study of identity-driven geopolitics, where the evolving nature of regional security is marked by multipolarity and contested legality. Developed by Turkish admirals, Mavi Vatan projects a maritime geostrategic vision that challenges prevailing international norms, such as UNCLOS, and responds to a growing sense of Türkiye's regional encirclement. This paper utilises the theoretical framework of critical geopolitics, draws on ten interviews with Turkish Professors, and conducts discourse analysis informed by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) principles to examine the narratives that underpin Mavi Vatan. It examines the doctrine's key narrative strands: the reconstruction of Turkish national identity, the portrayal of Türkiye as a maritime nation, and narratives of historical legacy. Although Blue Homeland is not formally adopted, it has influenced Turkish Foreign Policy (TFP), as seen in the 2019 Turkish-Libyan Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The political and economic context is also provided to explain the doctrine's rise. These narratives are situated in the broader Eastern Mediterranean, where diplomatic norms and multilateral trust are increasingly eroded. This paper argues that Mavi Vatan exemplifies how emerging regional powers resort to identity-driven doctrines to assert sovereignty, build domestic consensus, and legitimise regional assertiveness. In doing so, Türkiye simultaneously solidifies its claims in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. By unpacking Mavi Vatan's symbolic, historical, political, economic and ideological underpinnings, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between identity and geopolitics in Turkish maritime strategy. Drawing on interviews with key academics and secondary sources, contrasting narratives have emerged regarding Mavi Vatan's historical roots and the politics of identity. The study acknowledges certain limitations, including the reliance on qualitative analysis and a limited number of interviews. Nonetheless, the research bridged theoretical insights with empirical analysis, resulting in a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in Türkiye's maritime ambitions and identity-driven geopolitics.