This chapter examines the contrasting public diplomacy approaches and civilizational vision of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in shaping Turkey’s national identity and international status. Despite their different ideological approaches, both leaders utilized symbolic representations to consolidate their regimes and assert Turkey’s status globally. Atatürk envisioned a future based on muasır medeniyet (civilized nations), while Erdoğan envisions a future on a neo-Ottoman articulation of civilization. This chapter highlights how these strategies reflect broader shifts in Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies, offering insights into the role of authoritarianism in public diplomacy and the ways in which both leaders sought status within Western institutions, while consolidating their respective regimes.