Publisher: Transatlantic Academy
Volume: 50 pages, pdf
Description:
Turkey is a key ally to both the United States and Europe. A long-standing member of NATO and a candidate for membership in the European Union, Turkey has strong ties to the West and has long served as a bridge to the East in a volatile, yet strategic, region. Today, Turkey is undergoing a transformation internally in terms of its politics, economics,
and identity. A new era of regional diplomacy means the nation is now engaged in its own neighborhood more deeply than at any time since the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923. This new engagement has benefits for the West, but has also raised concerns about the possibility of Turkey drifting farther to the East in its ideology and policies. In the words of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto ˘ glu, the current Turkish foreign policy doctrine aims at pursuing “zero problems with neighbors.” But can Turkish foreign policy achieve such a goal, in relations with both its neighbors and its transatlantic allies? Are Turkish foreign policy problems “getting to zero”?