Turkey's Foreign Policy Challenges - Session 1. Podcast by Rethink Institute

Rethink Institute

Speakers: Ihsan Dagi - Professor of International Relations, Middle East Technical University Michael Werz - Senior Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Fevzi Bilgin -Executive Director, ReThink Institute September 24, 2013-Washington DC Until a few years ago, Turkish foreign policy was mostly informed by the priorities of the Western alliance. Politically and ideologically, Turkey considered itself part of Europe and joined various European/Western arrangements, ranging from military cooperation (NATO) to customs union. This alignment has come into question during the last decade, thanks to the mental shift and various assertive moves by the AKP government, which seemingly challenged the perception of Turkey as located between the East and the West, but always facing the West. The AKP government's strategy of "zero problem with neighbors" initially helped foster a new broadminded, confident, and ambitious Turkish foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, from which it was previously absent. This shift enabled Turkey to grow its soft power in the region and provide an inspiration to the peoples of the Middle East as they began to depose their seemingly eternal dictators. As the euphoria at the initial stages of the Arab Spring was quickly replaced by chaos, coups, massacres, and sectarian warfare, the new Turkish foreign policy seemed to face new challenges. Turkey's assertive policy in the region is increasingly viewed as intrusive and neo-imperialist by the Arab regimes, while domestic calls for disengagement from the region are getting louder. The conference will examine Turkey's foreign policy challenges against the backdrop of the current developments in the Middle East and address the following questions: How will Turkish foreign policy play out in the near future? What are Turkey's options in the Middle East? What should be the nature of the model partnership between Turkey and in the United States? How about Turkey's other significant interests in the European Union, the Caucasus, and Central Asia?