Viewed through a geopolitical lens, Turkey appears as a natural crossroads. Its location links the Eastern Mediterranean with the Black Sea region and the Middle East, while simultaneously extending toward the Caucasus with cultural reach stretching even into Central Asia. This position provides Ankara with strategic depth that few other countries possess. Added to this is a demographic profile significantly younger than that of Europe, a large domestic market with nearly 90 million inhabitants, and a growing security-industrial base that