Turkey does not follow either the West or the East, Sabah writes. According to the author of the article, dividing the world into two camps is an outdated stereotypical approach that has nothing to do with reality. Ankara is pursuing a policy that will allow it to develop and strengthen ties with all its allies.
After the elections in Turkey, a discussion on foreign policy, which I absolutely dislike, is being held in the country. Is Ankara turning to the West? Comments on this matter began to be voiced after mutual expressions of politeness in official statements, the NATO summit in Vilnius and the impression that after this meeting a consensus would be reached on issues such as Sweden's membership in the alliance and the F-16.
East or West? It has always been difficult for me to understand such interpretations. What does it mean to follow a pro- or anti-Western policy? In my opinion, this is one of the most superficial discussions. And despite the fact that we have always said for a long time that such interpretations are wrong for understanding Turkish foreign policy or world politics in general, there are certainly some irrational stereotypes that bring the topic to this.
These are superficial judgments. Estimates based on simple habits... And it's not just that stereotypes were reinforced in the public consciousness during the Cold War. We are talking about comfortable mindsets. This situation is not unique to Turkey. If you've noticed, the Biden administration uses similar concepts. It is also, in a sense, what they call a "rules-based order." Washington, in accordance with its own ideas, divides the world into democracies and non-democracies.
However, these categories are also stereotypes of the past and were made part of history by the United States itself during the Arab Spring. The United States has shown that it will not participate in the processes of democratization. After a long and painful period, everyone is trying to keep up with this new order. Therefore, the categories that Biden is trying to present do not correspond to reality. In a sense, this is just a mask and an attempt to revive the old days.
There is also virtually no East or West left for Turkish foreign policy. Turkey has long turned into a country that takes care of itself and therefore can negotiate and fight with any players. During this process, Turkey also experienced tensions with its classical allies. After the recent elections, it became obvious that neither the current Turkish government nor such an approach will sink into oblivion. In this regard, a kind of normalization process has begun.
Ankara is sending friendly signals to both the West and the East. Moreover, in the second case, it even goes beyond subtle hints. Turkey is getting closer to many countries. Frankly speaking, it has not yet been possible to make such a journey with the Atlantic. Because most of the Western countries are under American control. At the same time, the United States has not yet fully realized this reality. That is why Turkey's relations with the United States in particular and with the West in general remain at the level of declarations of goodwill and efforts to reach a compromise. However, consensus is never one-sided. And, besides, it does not last during periods when the international system is so divided. Today you are negotiating with a Western country, and tomorrow you may experience a serious crisis in relations with this state.
Therefore, generalizations in the spirit of "where Turkey is going" do not make much sense. Ankara, as far as I understand, does not want problems, seeks to strengthen political and trade relations in its region and can follow the path of normalizing ties with anyone to ease security problems. Nevertheless, it makes no sense to draw long-term and emotional conclusions from this.
Author: Hasan Basri Yalçin
