As an emerging market economy and a candidate country for EU membership, Turkey has engaged in large-scale international science and research programs and organizations in Europe since the 1950s, and more intensely after its candidacy status commenced at the end of 1999. These engagements, which can be framed as Science Diplomacy (SD) efforts, were motivated by the Turkish government’s perception that Turkey needs to become more integrated with the European countries, and must stay abreast of the science and technology developments or risk falling behind other EU candidate countries. The primary purpose of this paper is to explore how the emerging concept of SD helps explain transformations and changes in Turkish Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policies since 2000, with a special focus on engagements with the EU’s science and research programs and European organizations, and subsequently filling a gap in related literature. Europeanization and qualitative content analysis are used as theoretical framework and methodology, respectively, to analyze these engagements. The key findings and conclusions point out that Turkey’s efforts to harmonize its science and technology policies with the EU’s has paved the way for new funding mechanisms and its participation in Horizon 2020 as an associated country. In addition, using Science and Technology (S&T) cooperation as a soft power has strengthened the public diplomacy of Turkey with the European countries. As a result, increased involvement in STI partnerships with the European countries could help Turkey open new venues for developing its SD. However, despite the mutual economic and political benefit gained through scientific interactions, Turkey is still not using science as a diplomacy tool as effectively as it might to augment its foreign policy. It should be noted that research is one of the very few areas where the relations Turkey and the EU are still cooperating, regardless of growing tensions between the two parties. Thus, Framework Programs and other scientific projects that Turkey has participated in can provide founding experiences of Turkish SD with the EU, and may help Turkey open new venues for developing its SD. Nevertheless, a more resolute political will is needed.

作为新兴市场经济体和加入欧盟的候选国，土耳其自1950年代以来一直在欧洲从事大规模的国际科学和研究计划与组织，自从1999年底开始担任候选国以来，这种活动就更加激烈。土耳其政府认为土耳其需要与欧洲国家更加融合，必须与科学技术发展保持同步，否则可能会落后于其他欧盟候选国家，这可以归结为科学外交（SD）的努力。本文的主要目的是探讨SD的新兴概念如何帮助解释自2000年以来土耳其科学，技术和创新（STI）政策的转变和变化，特别着重于与欧盟的科学研究计划和欧洲组织的接触，并随后填补了相关文献方面的空白。欧洲化和定性内容分析分别用作理论框架和方法论，以分析这些参与。主要发现和结论指出，土耳其为协调其科学技术政策与欧盟所做的努力为新的筹资机制及其作为关联国家参与Horizo​​n 2020铺平了道路。此外，利用科学技术合作作为软实力，加强了土耳其与欧洲国家的公共外交。结果，更多地参与与欧洲国家建立的科学，技术和创新伙伴关系将有助于土耳其为发展可持续发展目标提供新的场所。然而，尽管通过科学互动获得了共同的经济和政治利益，但土耳其仍然没有像其可能在扩大其外交政策那样有效地利用科学作为外交工具。应当指出的是，无论两党之间日益紧张的关系如何，研究都是土耳其和欧盟关系仍在合作的极少数领域之一。因此，土耳其参与的框架计划和其他科学项目可以为土耳其与欧盟的可持续发展提供开创性经验，并可以帮助土耳其开辟发展可持续发展的新场所。尽管如此，仍需要更加坚决的政治意愿。应当指出的是，无论两党之间日益紧张的关系如何，研究都是土耳其和欧盟关系仍在合作的极少数领域之一。因此，土耳其参与的框架计划和其他科学项目可以为土耳其与欧盟的可持续发展提供开创性经验，并可以帮助土耳其开辟发展可持续发展的新场所。尽管如此，仍需要更加坚决的政治意愿。应当指出的是，无论两党之间日益紧张的关系如何，研究都是土耳其和欧盟关系仍在合作的极少数领域之一。因此，土耳其参与的框架计划和其他科学项目可以为土耳其与欧盟的可持续发展提供开创性经验，并可以帮助土耳其开辟发展可持续发展的新场所。尽管如此，仍需要更加坚决的政治意愿。