Growing Need for Psychotherapy in Decision-Making Between
“Sovereign Ambitions” and “Transforming Environment”
Muhammet Ali Zurnacı
Before, during, or after decision-making, leaders require rational (even if seemingly irrational) policy frameworks and calculated calmness in rapidly changing environments. I believe that cognitive-behavioral therapy is becoming increasingly essential for global leaders, particularly for decision-makers of ambitious regional and middle powers.
Take Russian decision-makers, for instance:
- They face rapidly arming Baltics and Eastern Europe.
- Central Asia grows more complex by the day.
- The Caucasus is historically significant but newly volatile.
- Economically, they struggle to sustain Middle East engagements.
- The specter of Nuclear Armageddon escalates daily on TV.
- Gas reserves, while significant, may not elevate Russia to true global power.
- Their military remains heavily bogged down in Ukraine.
Turkish decision-makers, meanwhile:
- Have felt increasingly threatened since 2013.
- NATO relations are strained, and EU accession processes remain stalled.
- Greece is arming itself while promoting disturbing narratives.
- Syrian factions are being armed, complicating regional stability.
- Counter-alliances are forming over Aegean and Mediterranean disputes.
- The currency continues to devalue, while Cyprus militarization increases.
Iranian policymakers, on the other hand:
- Wrestle with the never-ending nuclear issue.
- Navigate the volatile Gulf and face the emergence of a “New Saudi Arabia.”
- Maintain protracted but limited interests in Iraq and Syria.
- Depend on an oil-dependent, fragile economy.
- Struggle with unhealthy relations with the Western world.
Regional and sub-regional collaborations increasingly devolve into conflicts of interest as the number of actors in the geopolitical game grows.
Furthermore, all these nations contend with potential or active internal unrest. Internal power struggles are unlikely to stabilize any time soon.
For these reasons, the decision-makers of these states may benefit from a series of therapies aimed at reducing stress and improving problem-solving capabilities. Perhaps all they truly need is a change in their perspectives.
MAZ Research II, Trial Release, June 27, 2024, Istanbul