Turkey's Foreign Policy in a Changing World - St Antony's College ...

Turkey's Foreign Policy in a Changing World | International Conference | Oxford 30 April – 2 May 2010
question is less about sequencing and priorities and more about real and present, actual or potential,
tensions and contradictions. As Alexander [the Great] demonstrated with great panache
too - you can get stuck in Damascus, Baghdad and Teheran wherever your ship is heading!
In sum, we can hope that soon enough I will no longer hear when promoting EU membership
for Turkey in Paris or Marseille, ‘But with Turkey we import a boundary with Iran, Iraq and
Syria into the EU’ [expressed in horror], but rather, ‘With Turkey we import a boundary with
Iran, Iraq and Syria into the EU!’ [expressed in jubilation].”
Joost Lagendijk (Sabancı University)
Lagendijk was the first to respond to Nicolaidis challenge by raising two issues: the dangers
of the success of Turkey’s Doctrine of ‘strategic depth’ and the domestic limits on the depth
of the doctrine abroad. Regarding the first concern, Lagendijk contended that if Davutoğlu is
very successful in implementing his doctrine, it might make it harder for Turkey to enter the
EU. As a strong player, with relative autonomy, Turkey would have to give up some of its
autonomy when entering a union with other strong players with differing foreign policy agendas.
“Would Turkey be willing to give up this autonomy? To no longer conduct its relations
with its neighbours in the way that it wishes?” In order to join Lagendijk argued that Turkey
would likely need to share a strong and coherent foreign policy with the EU. But this common
policy is likely to constrict Turkey’s current policy.
Regarding the second issue, Lagendijk reiterated that the US and the EU are still concerned
about Turkey’s unresolved internal issues. Turkey’s ability to solve its domestic conflicts is a
more important hurdle to its accession than its foreign policy doctrine. In addition, there are
domestic limits on what Davutoğlu can do, as the AKP, like any political party, needs to win
the next elections. Thus Davutoğlu can only push so much with respect to sensitive issues like
the protocols with Armenia.
Cengiz Aktar (Bahçeşehir University)
According to Aktar, Turkey’s new foreign policy is a policy in the making. Thus it does not
necessarily have the means of its ambitions. For Aktar, it lacks a long-term view; it is sometimes
contradictory, and clumsy. The doctrine is inclined towards mercantilism and realpolitik.
In the post 9/11 world the West is having fundamental difficultly co-existing with Islam. As a
result, the EU is too shy to deal with Turkey, despite its post 1989 ambitions to become a
model and bring peace, prosperity and stability in its neighbourhood. Despite the ongoing
alienation between Turkey and the EU, the former is seeking a destiny to become an actor,
almost despite itself. Turkey is now acting as an avatar of EU's soft power in its neighbourhood.
Davutoğlu talks about the abolition of borders, the export of stability, and of freedoms. This is
about Turkey who is taking advantage of its position and strength to export its soft power to
broader regions.
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