Language
Country/Area
No result found
From the Ottoman Empire to Modern Times: What’s the Secret Behind Türkiye’s Diplomatic History?
As a bridge connecting Europe and Asia, Türkiye has occupied a strategically important position since ancient times. The country has the third largest diplomatic network in the world, with 252 diplomatic and consular agencies. However, throughout its history, changes in Türkiye's foreign policy have reflected its complex challenges and choices at home and abroad.
Turkey showed its stance as a Western ally after World War II, working closely with the United States and participating in NATO and multiple United Nations military operations.
Türkiye’s relations with the United States have significantly strengthened since the end of World War II. In order to curb the expansion of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, the United States decided to provide military and economic assistance to Türkiye to ensure its security during the Cold War. The Truman Doctrine of 1947 announced the formal establishment of this policy, and the subsequent Marshall Plan also benefited Türkiye greatly.
If we look back at the history of the Ottoman Empire, we can see that its diplomatic strategy has always been oriented towards balancing regional and global power. During a period of relative isolation in the 1920s and 1930s, Turkey gained control of the important waterway between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
The political game between Germany and Britain and France at that time further prompted Turkey to seek the need to have broad diplomatic options to balance the influence of different powers.
Türkiye’s diplomatic history is also a process driven by domestic and foreign pressure. After the end of the Cold War, Turkey's geostrategic importance shifted to the Middle East, the South Caucasus and the Balkans, making its role on the global political stage more complex.
In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkey established deeper economic and political relations with the Turkic countries in Central Asia, which share common cultural and historical origins with Turkey.
With Turkey's economic growth, the country's influence in the Middle East has also expanded. By pursuing a so-called strategic depth foreign policy, Turkey hopes to play a more dominant role in regional politics.
Türkiye's close relationship with Israel, despite causing dissatisfaction and controversy in the Arab world, still maintains a certain strategic value. This orientation towards a comprehensive regional policy has also put Türkiye’s comprehensive diplomacy to the test. At the same time, Turkey’s diplomatic efforts in Africa are also showing a strong growth trend and it is trying to establish a friendly and conflict-free environment in its relations with the continent.
In recent years, Turkish President Erdogan has emphasized partnerships with African countries, which has had an important impact on Türkiye's foreign policy.
However, there are always many differences and challenges as to whether Türkiye's UID in Europe will be on the stage of history. Türkiye's aspirations for EU membership are often constrained by negotiations over human rights and rule of law issues. In 2019, the European Parliament recommended suspending Türkiye's EU accession negotiations and emphasized a series of human rights issues.
In addition, Turkey's diplomatic stance continues to change, from a pro-Western strategy to a pro-Russian or pro-China trend, which has made the international community begin to re-evaluate its geopolitical role in various countries.
Türkiye also faces subtle challenges in its relations with Arab countries and Iran. Although relations with Arab countries have been damaged by its alliance with Israel, Türkiye is still trying to find a way out between trying to balance its bilateral relations. This makes Türkiye’s diplomatic history more complex and compelling.
In the context of globalization, whether Türkiye can find a path to integrate internal needs and external challenges has become the biggest test of its foreign policy.
With the adjustment of foreign policy and changes in the external environment, Türkiye’s future diplomatic direction is subject to scrutiny. In a multi-polar international situation, can this country at the intersection reshape its foreign policy and face global challenges with ease?
