What Could a New Foreign Policy Approach Look Like?

Turkey is at a crucial juncture on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic. The May 14th presidential and parliamentary elections will open a new chapter and redefine Turkey's horizon. Those who long for a democratic, libertarian and more integrated Turkey will reflect the choice they are sure will fulfil their aspirations at the ballot box and share the great responsibility at this historic turning point. This shared responsibility will be and must be, assumed by voting and by going to the polling stations.

What will change?

Acting with this responsibility, the Nation Alliance has shared with the public its Text of Agreement for A Strengthened Parliamentary System, a Memorandum of Understanding on Common Policies, and a roadmap to transition to a parliamentary system. Furthermore, as soon as it announced its candidate for the presidential elections, it had already determined the names of the vice presidential candidates and informed the public on this matter.

As in every other field, the line to be followed in foreign policy was also determined. The answers to all the questions raised are available in these documents. Still, the issue that those who defend the confusing policies of the ruling circles insist on is the question of what kind of a foreign policy step this or that party will take. Similar questions are repeatedly asked to the presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance about the foreign policy path to be followed.

There is an important point that is overlooked. In the background of almost all of these questions, the influence of a "one man" approach is felt. However, while answering these questions, it is forgotten that the fundamental change will be in this approach; that is, the one-man regime will change.

The Nation Alliance is not and will not be a one-man alliance. Instead, it will be a team approach that mirrors Turkey's diverse and colourful socio-economic and political structure. For this very reason, it will continue with the implementation of the principles, the guidelines, and the values unanimously agreed upon in the common consensus text, not the foreign policy understanding of any party.

Problems of foreign policy

There are, of course, many foreign policy issues that Turkey should prioritize in the coming period. None of these is more important than the other. Nevertheless, relations with the West, the EU, NATO and the US inevitably stand out among the factors blocking Turkey's foreign policy path. It should be remembered that the steps to be taken and the policies to be formulated in these areas will significantly transform Turkey's integration with the world.

Today's (March 9) trilateral meeting in Brussels on Sweden and Finland's NATO membership is an essential milestone. The AKP government's position on the NATO membership of these two countries essentially defends Turkey's priorities in the fight against terrorism. The trilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed in Madrid between Turkey, Sweden and Finland has resulted in Turkey's sensitivities being taken more into consideration by these two countries. The measures and steps taken by Finland and Sweden to respond to Turkey's expectations have also helped bring about positive developments. However, some of the allies interpreted the government's stance as disregarding the principle of "indivisibility of security", the most fundamental characteristic of a collective defence organization, and the quest for NATO's strengthening.

Bilateral and multilateral diplomacy

To overcome the lack of solidarity and understanding with these two countries in the fight against terrorism, Turkey could have followed a method that considered the bilateral relations dimension of diplomacy. Instead, the government chose to bring the problems to a multilateral forum. This confusion between multilateral and bilateral diplomacy has led to the perception that Turkey obstructs NATO's activities. After more than 70 years of significant and valuable contributions to NATO, it is unfair to have such a perception about a country like Turkey. The failure to prevent such a perception is a significant shortcoming.

Today's meeting in Brussels may provide essential clues about Turkey's future relations with the West. Many observers say that Turkey's purchase of S-400 air defence systems from Russia led to its exclusion from the F-35 project. The same observers attribute the US Congress's failure to progress on the F-16s that Turkey wants to buy from the US to Turkey's veto of Sweden and Finland's NATO membership.

As a result, Turkey's behaviour negatively impacts the areas where it wants to strengthen its security. This means the new foreign policy approach should emphasize holistic approaches and comprehensive assessments rather than retail calculations. Such a change can only be achieved by abandoning the use of foreign policy for domestic politics.