Abstract Turkey’s faith-diplomacy incorporates state and non-state actors in projecting Turkey’s interests, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans. The Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), is actively engaged in regions where Turkey has historical ties and its budget, as well as its human resources, are continuously increasing. As a result of the support from the AKP government, Diyanet has become an influential Islamic actor in the Balkans, which counters the Saudi and Iranian influences that introduce marginal interpretations of Islam. Furthermore, faith-based diplomacy allows Turkey to exert its influence in the Balkans and to secure its dominance over local religious institutions, while also being an actor in maintaining regional peace. This paper will provide critical analysis of Turkey’s faith-based diplomacy in the Western Balkans region after the 1990s, with a special focus on the period after the AKP party came to power. This is done by offering a