Author(s)

Yutong Gao

Corresponding Author

Yutong Gao

Abstract

The Turkish government’s recent diplomatic performance is phenomenal compared to that of other countries in the Middle East. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led Turkey for 18 years since he becomes the Turkish prime minister. Learning from experiences of the Welfare Party and the Virtue Party in last century, Erdogan comprehends the unifying power of Turkish Islamism. Yet given Turkey’s entrenched secular and military traditions, it will be an arduous task to eliminate the system of military tutelage and Turkey’s nation-state identity. Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi-AKP, founded in 2001) face up to these challenges. The party follows Ahmet Davutoglu’s foreign policy doctrines during its early diplomacy. While maintaining close connections with Western countries, Turkey aspires to play a proactive role according to its strategic depth and implements a “zero problem policy with neighbors”. By adjusting diplomatic principles, Turkey endeavors to resolve disputes and establish rapport with circumjacent countries. By means of intervention, participation, and intermediation, Turkey promotes win-win solutions and a multi-dimensional foreign policy, aiming to become a leader in international affairs of Middle East and Central Asia.

Keywords

Foreign Policy; Zero Problem Policy with Neighbors; Domestic Reforms; Economic Growth