THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESS FREEDOM FOR EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL FOREIGN POLICY

Abstract

This study systematically examines the critical effects of press freedom on states' foreign policy success and international power capacities in today's world, where the flow of information has accelerated and the role of public opinion in international relations has increased following globalization and technological revolution. The main purpose of the research is to reveal through which causal mechanisms the level of press freedom determines states' foreign policy effectiveness. The study develops an original theoretical framework based on the synthesis of structural realism and power transition theory, introducing the "Betrayal Prevention-Public Opinion Influence Model" to the literature, which argues that press freedom both increases states' internal coherence and strengthens their positions in the international system. The main research question is formulated as "through which causal mechanisms does the level of press freedom determine states' foreign policy success and international power capacities?" and this question is answered through the hypothesis that "states with high levels of press freedom exhibit more consistent and effective performance in foreign policy through both their capacity to prevent administrative betrayal and their ability to influence international public opinion." The research was conducted using comparative case analysis method and is based on comprehensive field studies conducted in six cities of Switzerland, nineteen cities of nine European Union member countries, and seven cities of Turkey between 2019-2024. Qualitative data collected through in-depth conversational interviews with a total of nine hundred people and ethnographic observations were analyzed using methodological triangulation approach combined with comprehensive literature review. The study addresses the impact of press freedom on foreign policy through two main dimensions: the mechanism of preventing administrative betrayal and the capacity to influence international public opinion. The first mechanism encompasses how free press reduces the risk of making concessions to external forces and sacrificing national interests by increasing the accountability of state administrators; the second mechanism covers building legitimacy in the international arena by providing transparent and reliable information flow. Research findings empirically prove that states with high levels of press freedom exhibit more consistent and effective performance in foreign policy. Comparative analysis results conducted in fifteen different dimensions show that Switzerland has an average score of 4.20, EU average is 3.90, and Turkey has 2.40 for press freedom level, and these differences are directly related to foreign policy capacity. It has been determined that free press reduces the risk of making concessions to external forces by increasing the accountability of administrators, while also facilitating the achievement of foreign policy goals by building credibility and legitimacy in the international arena. The theoretical contribution of the study is conceptualizing press freedom as an operational power factor rather than a normative value in international relations discipline; its empirical contribution is proving this relationship through systematic data analysis; and its methodological contribution is successfully applying multi-country comparative field research design. In conclusion, it has been revealed that press freedom is not only a democratic value, but also an indispensable component of effective foreign policy. For future research, developing a "press freedom-based foreign policy effectiveness index" and examining this relationship in hybrid regimes is recommended.