THE NATION ALLIANCE AND FOREIGN POLICY

The "Common Policies Memorandum of Understanding" (OPMM) prepared by the National Alliance was presented to the public in Ankara on January 30 by representatives of the six political parties that make up the alliance. At the meeting, which was also attended by the leaders of the relevant political parties, the document, which consists of nine chapters, was introduced in detail. The party officials presenting the document were coordinators who brought together the contributions of experts who had prepared the nine chapters separately. The experts had previously convened in separate working groups to prepare contributions in their respective fields. For example, the section on foreign policy was prepared by the officials in charge of foreign relations of the six parties and submitted to the coordinators. According to the division of labor of the coordinators who made the presentation, the Saadet Party coordinator introduced the section on foreign policy.

A Government Program?

In a way, the OPMM can be considered as the backbone of the program of the government to be formed by the Nation Alliance after the elections. Of course, such a document should not be expected to list in full detail the policies that a government will pursue in every field. While concrete proposals, methods and mechanisms are outlined in some areas, it should be considered natural that general principles and guidelines are emphasized in others.

The foreign policy chapter and the integrity of the OPMM

The foreign policy section has also been written in a manner that enumerates these general principles and guidelines. In practice, of course, the details will be harmonized according to the government's strategy and vision, as well as the rapidly changing conjuncture of the international environment. Indeed, it is precisely for this reason that if there is a perceived missing element in any of the nine chapters, it may be the result of the fallacy of looking at the individual trees rather than the forest. It is appropriate to consider the OPMM in the context of its totality.

From this point of view, foreign policy should not be considered independent of the steps to be taken in areas such as "separation of powers" and "fundamental rights and freedoms" in the first part of the document and the suggestions and measures regarding "merit-based public personnel management" in the second part. This is because the weakness and lack of confidence created by Turkey's foreign policy implementation during the AKP rule is directly proportional to the regression in areas such as democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms. Therefore, unless there is a system change based on the separation of powers, where the independence of the judiciary is ensured and the legislature functions as an effective control mechanism over the executive, it is difficult for the Republic of Turkey to take an effective place on the international political scene as a democratic, secular and social state of law.

Foreign policy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For this reason, in the second century of our Republic, in harmony with such holistic approach, the foreign policy section of the document begins with a strategic planning in line with the principle of "Peace at Home, Peace in the World" based on the understanding of "peaceful settlement of disputes through diplomacy and dialogue". This understanding will restore Turkey to the prestige it deserves in its region and in the world, and will restore our country to the position of a reliable, strong and effective international actor.

The most important element of such a vision is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Like all Republican institutions that have been eroded in the last two decades, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to be restructured in accordance with the needs and realities of the twenty-first century. This restructuring will restore to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs its role and duty in foreign policy making, decision making and implementation. Qualification and merit will be prioritized starting from the examination system for entry to the Ministry, our representations abroad will be equipped accordingly, and chiefs of mission will be appointed with an understanding based on career and merit. In other words, "Merit" will prevent political appointments that are the result of "loyalty" rewarded on the basis of party affiliation or proximity to the ruling circles.

Auxiliary mechanisms in foreign policy making

Transparency is the most important feature of a democratic society. Civil society organizations have important functions in such a social structure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will work with a reformist approach, will interact with academic circles, which are elements of this democratic structure, as well as think tanks formed by our citizens living abroad, in the formation of foreign policy, and will make our soft power an effective tool of public diplomacy.

The "Foreign Affairs Academy", which we aim to establish as the Nation Alliance, aims to provide education in a real post-graduate program instead of being a short course organized only for the training of the personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We aim to develop a model suitable for Turkey by examining the examples of other countries, particularly Austria and France. In this way, the existing "Foreign Affairs Academy" will be transformed into an institution that will be able to offer this quality education to other public personnel in addition to Foreign Affairs personnel.

Integration with European institutions and international organizations

The EU accession negotiations process is important for Turkey to internalize democratic values in its second century and for our people to achieve the model of a society based on universal values that they deserve. Visa liberalization, modernization of the Customs Union, and a burden-sharing approach to the problem of asylum seekers under temporary protection with the EU will ensure the continuation of this process. Similarly, commitments to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and other legal instruments of the Council of Europe and to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights will strengthen this integration.

Multilateral diplomacy in international relations has gradually lost its influence in recent years. The OPMM is written with an approach that takes into account the importance of multilateral diplomacy. The focus of this approach is on international organizations, existing ones and regional organizations that will be created according to conditions and needs. Another dimension of this multilateral diplomacy approach is Turkey's efforts to become an actor that facilitates the solution of problems. The same approach also aims for Turkey to assume high-level positions in the secretariats of international organizations.

Priority files in Turkey's foreign policy

Turkey has to deal with a multidimensional, interconnected and intricate set of problems in its foreign policy due to the geography we live in. It would of course be difficult to go into the details of these problems in the OPMM. This is because all these problems can follow a new and different course every day in direct proportion to the dynamics of the international conjuncture. Of course, the components of the National Alliance have policy proposals on each of these problems. It should be known that there is a harmonious consensus on these policy proposals. However, what is important is to agree on general principles in the search for solutions to these problems and to unite in the will to seek solutions based on those principles. A careful reading will make it clear that this understanding is reflected in the OPMM.