Turkey's Foreign Policy - Coursework Example

Running Head: The Role of Turkey in Regional and International Relations Student’s Name: Course Code: Lecture’s Name: Date of presentation: In order to fully understand the role played by Turkey in both regional and international relations, it is of importance first to establish a number of factors that make the country to be what it is today. This factors are; historical background, and geographical location of Turkey. Historical perspective The name “Turkey” was used by historians in the Ottoman Empire (1300-1922) prior the formation of the current Republic of Turkey in 1923. This republic occupies a smaller area when compared with the Turkey of the Ottoman era. This new republic came into being after the national liberation war(1919-22) on ruins the minor Asia (Anatolia) As a descendant of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Turkey often suffers nearly all the merits and demerits of the relations that the imperial heritage went through in its relations with the other breakaway states of Balkans, middle east, Africa and Caucasus1. For instance, Turkey has been enjoying good diplomatic relationships with UK which started with the sending of an English ambassador to the ottoman government in 1583. This was followed by the establishment of a permanent Turkish embassy in London in 1793. The nations since then have enjoyed great and cordial diplomatic relationships apart from some few notable instances, for instance in the First World War, when they pursued opposing ideologies. Since the Second World War, Turkey has assumed a crucial role in European and western worlds as symbolized by its membership to a number of regional organizations such as OECD, OSCE, NATO, and the Council of Europe2. Geographical Context Geographically, Turkey is strategically positioned in the interface between Asia and Europe, between Mediterranean and Black Sea, making the country to enjoy significance importance1. Since mid 1950s and especially after WWII, Turkey’s role in both regional and international developmental relations has been undergoing gradual fundamental transformation. The increasing sense of responsibilities coupled by the emerging trends of economic dynamics necessary to promote peace through sustainable development have pushed turkey to rise up as new player in the regional and global development and corporation style3. Turkey has adopted the Official Development Assistance (ODA) as it integral tool to foster a proactive and positive foreign and international relations policy. Coupled with this, Turkey has over this period has been gradually adopting a policy objective meant to contribute to the creation of a stable and more peaceful environment in the region especially with the neighboring states. This has made the country to put its foot forward as an active stakeholder in both global and regional political and economic stability. As part of its unique policy, Turkey has opted to utilize extensive variety of “soft power instruments” such as opting to be a mediator in regional conflicts. The country has also enhanced its ODA programs to several countries affected by political and economic conflicts as well as others instabilities such as natural disasters, in Middle East and the Horn of Africa. This has made Turkey to transform from a “net recipient nation to a net donor nation” 3. In 1985, Turkey set aside a comprehensive assistance package of $10million, as part of its foreign aid programs targeting towards enhancement of institutional capacity building in a number of African states such as Guinea, Mauritania, Gambia, Sudan Somalia and Guinea Bissau. As a result of the dynamic changes in the international environment in the early 1990s, Turkey has now been able to extend its unique foreign policy to Central Asia and Caucasian nations which were out of its reach during the cold war years. This has enabled it to seize a chance to build up its relations in the vast Eurasia geographical region, with which it has common cultural, historical and linguistic attachments. After the fall of Socialism in the region, the newly created nations were in desperate need for support to cope with the new challenges of building their political platform and also the economic transformation. These desperate needs required fast and well planned response: thus the international Cooperation and Development agency of Turkey (TIKA) was created with its focus being the financial assistance to these independent states of Caucasus and Central Asia. This trend has recorded great success as demonstrated by the speedy transformation in the recent past, leading to a much bigger regional geographical coverage in Africa, Middle East, and the larger Asia4. Relations with the Balkan States Turkey has fostered closer political, economic, historical and cultural ties with most of the Balkan States. These ties are very critical for turkey as such states are country’s getaway to European continent. Turkey holds a lot of importance to the creation of an environment of mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence via these closer relationships with Balkan states, thus promoting stability and preservation of peace in the region. Balkan has therefore been a priority for Turkey for a long time5. After the collapse of Yugoslavia in the mid 1990s, the resulting political conflicts and instability reached a threatening level to both regional and global peace. The deadly wars and ethnic cleansing demanded an immediate international intervention. Due to the inherent ties with Balkan states, Turkey had no option but to intervene by sponsoring decision making organs on international in order to quell the conflicts. Such initiatives were however, in line with the measures that were consistency with the realities of the Balkan region. Turkey also contributed to the military missions and international civil missions present in both Bosnia- Herzegovina and Kosovo. Turkey’s efforts culminated too the declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008 and Montenegro earlier in 20066. Turkey also holds the aspirations of common multilateral relations in the Balkan region. Although, the period for full integration differs from one state to another, it is obvious that such integration will serve as a hallmark of perpetual peace, stability and wellness of the entire region5. In 1992, Turkey established the Turkey’s Development Cooperation with the aim of implementing the countries development and cooperation policy, TIKA is also charged with the responsibility of coordinating such initiatives in collaboration with other national players, as well as the friendly bilateral donors. TIKA is also accredited with the task of harmonizing and giving ODA related statistics in Turkey. Basically, its mission is to participate in projects of sustainable development and poverty reduction in partner nations as demonstrated by the Turkey’s own experience and expertise. This attributes have enable TIKA to come up with custom tailored development plans and priorities that best fits partner states. By December 2010, TIKA had 26 Programs Offices in 23 partner states, which coordinated crucial role through direct contact with the local partners and stakeholders, in the actualization of cooperation programs and also the fast hand collection of data and information. However, it is worth stating that, TIKA assistance program are not limited to these 23 nations where the offices are located. TIKA is involved in operational activities that involve technical interaction for institutional capacity development and human capital development in the partner nations. These activities are achieved through the provision of training and advisory services in areas where Turkey has a comparative edge in respect to experience and technical knowhow. These advisory services are supported by donations and financial aid for capacity building. TIKA is also involved in financing infrastructural projects such as hospitals, schools, transportation projects, water and sanitation, and renovation of heritage sites. This assistance may also extend to humanitarian assistance7. Recent Turkish Priorities in Developmental cooperation Turkey is still carrying on with its efforts to serve a constructive role in main issues in Balkan region and beyond. These constructive efforts are coupled by activities of development cooperation. The country’s global efforts are geared towards sustainable development and poverty reduction for common future benefit to all. After the fall of Taliban administration in Afghanistan in 2003, Turkey put the development cooperation agenda in Afghanistan on its top priority list. This cooperation was initially focusing on the infrastructural reconstruction of the war- torn country, and then this gradually broadened to the provision of basic amenities and services. This was aimed at the restoration domestic order through creation of new basic liberties. Between 2005 and 2009, Turkey extended an ODA totaling to $400 million, through its three field operational branches of Kabul, wardak, and Mazar-I Sharif and through close collaboration with its embassy in Kabul8. In the last decade, Turkey foreign policy goal has been to expand scope of its involvement past the immediate neighborhood so as to simultaneously tackle practically other imperative global demands. It is in line with this goal that Turkey has established programs on development cooperation with African countries. In 2002, during the African Heads of State meeting in Addis Ababa, the African Union endorsed Turkey as an “observer”. The year 2005 was declared the “Year of Africa” and consequently, the premier TIKA office was opened in Addis Ababa, followed by opening of other offices in Senegal and Sudan. These offices act as regional hubs serving other neighboring states. In 2008, Turkey –Africa Cooperation Summit” was hosted in Turkey and in the same year African Union announced Turkey as a crucial “Strategic Partner”9. Turkey has recorded a remarkable GDP growth in the recent years averaging at 6.6 percent in the period between 2001 and 2008. The economy has been able to escape the financial crisis experience across Eastern Europe. This period of rapid growth has been coupled with fast growth in international integration. Due to crisis between Russian and its former breakaway states, much of the fuel and gas from Belarus and Ukraine pass through Turkey. A sizeable fraction of Oil from Iraq and Caspian also crosses through Turkey. This has made the country to take up a dominant role in oil and natural gas trade as it serves as the only feasible alternative route for natural gas from Middle East, Central Asia, and Caspian Basin. In Africa, Turkey has targets difference fields of assistance such as education, energy, water and sanitation, health, agriculture, training and capacity building and humanitarian aid. This is achieved through custom tailored programs such as the “Africa Health Program”, “Africa Agricultural development Program” and “African Training and Vocational Program” TIKA also carries out physical infrastructural projects such as building of dams, schools and hospitals. In 2006, total Turkey’s financial to African countries had totaled over $51million which was five times more that what was received in 2005 and Turkey is focusing on boosting this figures further up7. Turkey has also prioritized on fostering better working ties with international organizations so as to accelerate the country’s expanding role of international cooperation. It is in line with this that the government has offered some voluntary financial assistance to multilateral regional and international organizations such as UNIDO, OECD, UNDP, and FAO. In 2008, Turkey contributed $44.62 million, with the biggest fraction going to the UN bodies and Agencies. In 2010, Turkey extended its donation to 131 states appearing in the DAC/OECD list of recipient nations. This made Turkey to be named the second emerging donor country after South Korea Republic in both 2007 and 2008 according to the report OECD Development Corporation which total $602 million and $780 Million in the two years respectively10. According to ODA report of 2009, Turkey’s regional distribution showed that 45 percent of the aid was extended to Central and South Asia, 27 percent to Eastern European and Balkan States. In 2010, the more recent recipient nations of Middle East and Africa received about 25 percent of the Turkish ODA. African countries received11. Politically, Turkey has for acted as a bridging nation between the dominant Arab and Muslim world of middle East and the West. Together with the US, Turkey has assumed a leading role in pressuring the two warring sides in Syria to form coalition government in a move to stop the violence. However, the ties between the two countries had deteriorated after the US led invasion of Iraq and the latter stand on Iranian Nuclear program9. It is worth noting that Turkey’s ability to maintain its value- based international foreign policy will likely depend on the country’s own political and economic transformation. Although regional and global conjecture gives Turkey valuable opportunities, the country can only utilize this inherent advantage if it puts its domestic internal affairs in order. Bibliography Alesina, A. &. (2002). Who gives foreign aid to whom and why. Journal of Economic Growth, 22-33. Burnside, C. &. (2010, July 13). Aid, policies, and growth. American Economic Review, pp. 87–86. Coyne, C. J. (2004). The plight of underdeveloped countries. Cato Journal, 235–249. Davutoglu, A. (2010, May 10). Turkey's Zero Problem Foreign Policy. Retrieved May 03, 2012, from Foreign Policy: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/05/20/turkeys_zero_problems_foreign_policy?hidecomments=yes Eraslan, İ. H. (2010, May 02). Country Report: Turkey. Retrieved 2012, from www.clusterobservatory.com Millennium, U. N. (2005). Investing in development: A practical plan to achieve the. New York: United Nations . Onar, N. F. (n.d.). Turkey Inc.: Rethinking the Model's Regional Role. Retrieved from Carnegie Endowment of Internationa Peace. Shaw, S. J. (1999). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Taspinar, O. (2008, September 16). "Turkey’s Middle East Policies: Between Neo-Ottomanism and Kemalism". Retrieved May 02, 2012, from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.: http://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2012/03/29/turkey-inc.-rethinking-turkey-s-regional-role/a5k9 Read More