TURKEY tr-diplomacy

No change of axis in Turkey's foreign policy, former FM says

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News | 10/24/2010 12:00:00 AM |

Panelists at a Bahçeşehir University conference entitled 'Debating Security: Changes and Challenges for Turkey' acknowledge that Turkey is facing new security threats and adapting to new global changes.

Panelists at a Bahçeşehir University conference entitled “Debating Security: Changes and Challenges for Turkey” have acknowledged that Turkey is facing new security threats while adapting to new global changes.

Former Turkish Foreign Minister Yaşar Yakış said Friday that Turkey is currently continuing Atatürk’s foreign policy of neighborhood stability, while filling a vacuum in the region produced by the fall of the Soviet Union during the 1990s.

“Turkey’s foreign policy is in a zone of re-definition,” said Suat Kınıklıoğlu, Parliament’s deputy chairman of foreign affairs. “We have done three things: deepened political relations, increased trade and started a cultural dialogue” Kınıklıoğlu said of Turkey’s past decade of foreign policy. “Turkey has increased its security by approaching its neighbors.”

Referring to the debates on NATO’s changing role after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yakış said that NATO can still work as a security shield. “NATO’s future role is still not clear, but it could still work as a security shield” said Yakış, following questions regarding Turkey’s involvement in the defense organization.

The importance of avoiding a regional arms race was emphasized strongly in response to questions concerning NATO’s newly proposed missile shield project in Turkey.

Turkey faces a difficult decision on the missile shield, which will be viewed as a test of its commitment to the organization. Washington portrays the missile defense system as a safeguard against a possible ballistic missile strike from Iran, but Turkey worries that joining the shield project could damage relations with its neighbor.

According to Antonella Cerasino, head of NATO’s countries section, Turkey is currently excelling in the Afghanistan mission due to Turks’ cultural understanding of Afghans. She underlined the importance of common security threats faced by most Western countries and Turkey, including international terrorism and energy dependence.

“We value our partnership, but Turkey cannot be taken for granted and wants to be respected as a spending partner with the second largest army. We cannot pretend that things haven’t changed,” Kınıklıoğlu said.