Power Amidst the Ruins: Indonesia’s Earthquake Aid as Realist Statecraft

Abstract

Abstract Indonesia’s vigorous humanitarian response to the February 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquake offers a critical case to examine whether ostensibly altruistic aid can serve power-political ends. This study analyzes Indonesia’s aid through a classical realist lens, drawing on Hans Morgenthau’s concept of national interest defined in terms of power. We employ a qualitative single-case design treating Indonesia’s response as a “least likely” case for realism, operationalizing concepts of prestige politics, reciprocal alliance investment, and security-oriented influence projection. Our findings reveal that Indonesia’s relief mission – its largest ever overseas operation – functioned not only as compassionate assistance but also as an instrument of statecraft. Evidence of prestige-seeking (high-profile deployment of military assets and personnel), alliance reciprocity (references to Turkey’s past aid to Indonesia), and influence projection (strengthening strategic ties with Turkey) indicates that national interest shaped the aid effort. An anomaly emerged in aid to Syria, which yielded no obvious strategic return, highlighting the limits of a pure power explanation. The discussion interprets these results through classical realism, arguing that Indonesia’s aid was interest-driven at its core. Counterarguments from constructivism, liberalism, and bureaucratic politics are considered, but the overall thesis holds that even in humanitarian endeavors, Indonesia pursued power and prestige. This case extends the domain of classical realism into the realm of “low politics,” demonstrating that realist logic of interest can undergird humanitarian actions. The paper concludes by drawing implications for realist theory and policy, suggesting the institutionalization of “strategic humanitarianism” as a foreign policy tool, while acknowledging the ethical and practical balance required between genuine compassion and national interest.