Ankara’s “Century of Türkiye” vision unveiled by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last year, ahead of the centenary of the republic, serves as a guideline for the new government, which assumed duty after the May elections. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, a seasoned official in foreign affairs and intelligence, says they are working to transform the foreign policy of Türkiye as part of this vision.
In an article he penned for Insight Turkey, a publication of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Fidan stated that in the face of a complex era of global challenges, Türkiye stands out as a regional constructive and system-transformer actor striving for a more inclusive and efficient international system. His remarks echo Erdoğan’s oft-repeated call for major reforms in international institutions, namely the U.N. Security Council, for “a fairer world.”
“Türkiye will continue to secure its national interests in a volatile regional and global environment while shaping conditions for sustainable peace and development in its neighborhood and beyond. It will work toward institutionalizing its foreign relations structurally, developing an environment of prosperity and advancing its global goals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be the powerhouse in all these efforts, building upon its centuries-long tradition and going through an organizational transformation to ensure the swift and full implementation of the vision of the 'Century of Türkiye,'” Fidan wrote in the article.
Fidan noted that amid multiple challenges, Türkiye emerged “once again as a force for good, assuming a heightened sense of responsibility on the international stage.”
The minister took office at a time when Türkiye is at the height of its role as a global actor, mediating crises, forming new relations and reviving those stalled in recent years. Fidan said Türkiye stood out as a “problem solver, system improver and transformative actor in the region and international affairs.”
He acknowledged that a challenging task lies ahead of Türkiye for contributing to a new international system it envisioned, a system beyond polarity and capable of addressing current global and regional challenges and based on solidarity. “Türkiye is ready to collaborate with other nations to defend our shared values and fulfill our shared responsibilities in establishing an inclusive and effective international system that places high priority on human welfare, tackles economic disparities, and promotes global peace, security, stability and prosperity,” he wrote.
Fidan laid out the main objectives of their foreign policy in “Century of Türkiye” as “protecting Türkiye’s interests in a volatile regional and global environment while also shaping conditions for sustainable peace and development in our wider neighborhood.” He said those were “complementary objectives that require an integral comprehensive strategy.” “Establishing peace and security in our region, further institutionalizing our foreign relations on a structural basis, developing an environment of prosperity and advancing our global goals are the fundamental tenets of this strategy,” he added.
Regarding peace and security, Fidan pointed out that terrorism was the most significant threat to regional peace and security in Türkiye’s wider neighborhood. He highlighted that it was “instrumentalized as a tool for proxy wars in Syria, North Africa, the Sahel and elsewhere.” Türkiye has been highly critical of its ally, the U.S., for supporting the PKK terrorist group's Syrian wing, the YPG, which has targeted civilians and security forces in several instances.
“Türkiye’s commitment to this fight is beyond lip service. We are the only NATO ally with boots on the ground in the fight against ISIS. Simultaneously, we fight against the separatist agenda of the PKK/YPG terrorist organization and its offshoots, which not only claim innocent lives but also threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our neighbors. We maintain our relentless efforts against the putschist terrorist organization FETÖ. Türkiye has the determination and capacity to conduct these battles simultaneously. We maintain our firm commitment to combating terrorism and will continue to assume a pioneering role in international initiatives in this area. However, our resolve in no way absolves others from their responsibilities,” Fidan said in his article.
Fidan said another goal of Türkiye was the “further institutionalization of our foreign relations on a structural basis. This goal is also twofold: strengthening our existing strategic relations and establishing new ones,” he said. He highlighted a longstanding strategic partnership with the U.S. as a NATO ally “despite certain differing points of view.”
“In the period ahead, we will strive to strengthen our cooperation with the U.S. on a wide span of areas and the basis of common interests, as it is crucial for maintaining peace and security in our neighborhood and beyond. Nevertheless, the sine qua non for such cooperation is the spirit of allied solidarity. This requires boosting, not undermining each other’s national security,” he said, apparently referencing U.S. support for PKK/YPG.
Fidan also noted that European Union membership remained a strategic priority for Türkiye. President Erdoğan proposed reviving stalled ties with the EU on the path to Türkiye’s accession on the sidelines of a NATO summit last summer. But the EU’s somewhat lukewarm response and ensuing developments on the EU front against Türkiye’s favor angered Ankara. “Enlargement has once again gained momentum due to geopolitics, so leaving Türkiye behind will be nothing but a strategic mistake. Our long years of negotiations with our EU counterparts have raised the question of whether Türkiye’s accession negotiations do not progress on a merit-based methodology and whether it is identity politics or the size of Türkiye’s population that shapes the union’s ambivalence towards Türkiye. The EU needs to uphold the principle of pacta sunt servanda and maintain a merit-based accession process toward a common future instead of viewing Türkiye as a competitor in different areas and a transactional partner in the wake of challenges that it can not cope with by itself. We expect the EU to finally adopt a visionary approach and swiftly start fulfilling its long-neglected obligations towards our country. On the other hand, we have already started to give a new boost to our reform efforts,” Fidan stated.
In recent years, Türkiye has sought more engagement with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), a relatively new bloc that derives from the shared heritage of Turkic countries. Fidan named it as a forward-looking and promising project in his article. “It serves as a prime example of our efforts for stronger institutionalization in foreign relations,” he stated.
“The Organization plays a key role in reinforcing the unity and solidarity of the Turkic World by strengthening mutual trust, intensifying political solidarity, accelerating economic and technical cooperation opportunities in the Turkic world, as well as promoting our common historical and cultural heritage. The willingness of several countries and regional organizations to engage with the OTS serves as a testament to its success as well as potential. There is a huge untapped potential for OTS; the “Turkic World Vision-2040,” adopted at the 8th Summit in Istanbul in 2021, calls for further institutionalized collaboration. In line with this call, Türkiye will continue to advance this Organization in its pursuit of deeper levels of integration. In this respect, the TURAN Special Economic Zone will be a landmark in our cooperation and integration efforts,” he said, referring to a special economic zone encompassing Turkic countries the minister unveiled in the latest U.N. Security Council.
The minister stated that Türkiye’s foreign policy was reshaped to address the complex challenges of the new century.
“In the face of pressing challenges, Türkiye recognizes the importance of assuming responsibility as a system-building actor on the international stage and will continue to act accordingly. It will be at the forefront of efforts toward a more inclusive and effective international system based on its inherent national values. The transformation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards that end demonstrates a commitment to adjusting to changing global dynamics, improving organizational efficiency and further bolstering diplomatic capabilities. Through improved coordination and cooperation, Türkiye seeks to present a unified and coherent foreign policy agenda on the global stage. It aspires to be a beacon of stability, prosperity and justice, contributing to a more equitable and secure world order, and is poised to play a more influential and proactive role in shaping the global landscape as such with determination and dedication,” he wrote.
