The idea that Turkey should get nuclear weapons for a more peaceful balance of power in the Middle East attracts a great deal of attention. The holders of this view also argue that Turkey is entitled to this because a number of states including the US have such weapons. This argument is even advanced by some to underline that the current Western stance vis-à-vis Iran for its nuclear program is not justifiable. This of course could seem a plausible argument. But the idea that Turkey should have nuclear arms does not refer to a useful option for Turkey.

Above all, it should be noted that developing nuclear arms and building a security strategy based on it is fairly problematic for normative and ethical reasons. This could seem unreasonable and ignorable issue for those who look at international relations from a realpolitik perspective. However, in present setting of global affairs, the states pay greater attention to the norms and international rules. Of course, it is not possible to attribute this state of willingness to ethical considerations alone. In other words, the states subscribe to norms and act in consistent with them not just because they consider the ethical considerations but also because they take the influence and power of the norms as well. In other words, there are now powerful norms that affect the stability and sustainability of the international political system; and the states have to act in consistent with them.

This of course does not necessarily mean that all states observe all of the norms all the time. That would be naïve. However, it is equally misleading to think that the violation of norms by the states would go unsanctioned or unpunished and that they would pursue policies as required or dictated by their national interests. Unlike supporters of realpolitik, we have an international system that is not entirely anarchic and where the dominant determinative element is not power. And it is an obligation for the states as major actors in that system to observe the norms and rules that ensure the sustainability of this system. Otherwise, they have to assume the cost associated with the violation of these rules.

It is obvious that there is nothing with the possession of nuclear arms that could be normatively defendable. It is possible to argue that a nuclear state would have to face serious challenges in a world where prestige and image are more important than ever. Hence, Turkey which has been experiencing serious backlashes and problems in respect to the complicated issues including Cyprus and Kurdish issue gives the impression that it is a security-prone state; therefore, it is possible to infer that in case it develops nuclear arms, Turkey will have to confront more serious challenges.

In fact, this is the primary reason for the recent rise of Turkey in global arena in the last decade. In other words, unlike previous reflexes, Turkey has changed and revised its threat perceptions. And it has worked on a general framework that would change its former security paradigm. The primary goal of this policy was to make sure that the problems surrounding Turkey and its region would not be reviewed from a security perspective. Likewise, during this period, Turkey, unlike previous preferences, has paid greater attention to the international norms and rules and pursued a value-oriented police. This preference has played visible role in the perception of Turkey as a rising star in its region. In other words, emphasis upon international values and norms in the current international system and act in consistent with them will be an asset whereas non-compliance with these norms will make a loser in the international political arena.

It should also be noted that a state eager to have nuclear weapons cannot explicitly state this desire. In other words, a state cannot officially declare that it would like to get nuclear weapons. It is not easy for a state to remain discreet and avoid scrutiny in such a process that requires confidentiality and secrecy in all stages. In other words, in the new diplomacy approach where transparency has become a rule and secrecy an exception, it is not easy for Turkey to take bold and influential steps to acquire nuclear weapons.