How should we read Turkey’s shifting foreign policy over recent decades? Once firmly aligned with the West through NATO membership and its long-standing pursuit of European Union accession, Ankara is now navigating a more independent course. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s series of pivots and seemingly non-committal stance on issues such as the Ukraine War, have kept the West guessing, as the country redefines its global role. At the same time, tensions with Washington and Brussels have intensified, as Ankara has strengthened ties with Moscow and Beijing. These shifts raise urgent questions: is Turkey truly breaking away from the West, or is it strategically balancing multiple alliances to maximise its influence on the world stage?
In this interview with Dr. Soner Çagaptay, we take a deep dive into the origins of modern Turkey’s foreign policy, from the founding of the Republic in 1923 under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, to today. We explore the country’s many identities and the driving forces behind its external relations, as well as the broader implications of its foreign policy as a significant middle power. From historic rivalries to fledgling alliances, NATO commitments to new regional partnerships, the discussion provides essential context to understand Turkey’s strategic direction today.
*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
01:19 Turkish Foreign Policy Under Atatürk
05:54 How Did Turkish Foreign Policy Evolve From Thirties to Fifties?
11:55 Ankara’s Relationship With Soviet Russia
15:07 Turkey’s Thwarted Path To EU Membership
17:27 The Cyprus Issue And Erdogan’s Middle East Pivot
23:10 Turkey’s ‘Zero-Problems’ Foreign Policy and Regional Ties
28:54 Turkey’s Non-committal Stance on Ukraine War
37:52 Turkey’s Approach To Middle East
39:35h Ankara’s Rivalry With Tel Aviv and Tehran
45:37 The Evolution Of Turkey’s Global Soft Power
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