COVID-19, overtaking the world in a dramatic burst, has had disparate impacts on countries based on regime type, economic force and measures adopted to counter its spread. This divergence in action led to the formation of opposing views about which regime type, and the manner in which economic models, would best handle the crisis. This article examines the case of Turkey, an exceptional example in terms of adopted measures, domestic political balances, economic elements and foreign policy. The article’s fundamental argument is that, de-spite the fragility of its economy and its failure to choose a serious course of action in com-batting COVID-19, Turkey embodies a success story because of the strength of its healthcare system and its cultural codes of life, and it became exceptional around the world through its instrumentalization of this in foreign policy.
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