– Türkiye’s foreign policy received global acclaim, with several achievements in first 6 months of the year, including mitigating regional conflicts, improving relations with some countries
– Former Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visit to Egypt on March 18 marked Türkiye’s 1st visit at foreign ministerial level to Egypt in 10 years
ANKARA
Türkiye’s foreign policy during the outgoing year of 2023 received global acclaim, with several achievements in the first six months, including mitigating regional conflicts and improving relations with some countries, as well as extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement and taking strong stances against repeated burning incidents of Muslims’ holy book, the Quran.
Anadolu has covered Türkiye’s foreign policy developments in the first six months of 2023, beginning with then-Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visit to Brazil on Jan. 2 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Lula da Silva.
Cavusoglu later visited South Africa on Jan. 9-10, Zimbabwe on Jan. 11, and Rwanda on Jan. 12, focusing on bilateral relations and addressing the African food crisis.
Syria agenda
Cavusoglu spoke at a joint press conference in Ankara with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Jan. 17, emphasizing Türkiye’s strong support for Syria’s territorial integrity.
He also emphasized ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and voluntary return of Syrians to their homeland.
During his official visit to the US from Jan. 17 to 20, the Turkish foreign minister said he reiterated Ankara’s demand for F-16 fighter jets in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Jan. 18.
Cavusoglu also expressed willingness to work with the US to refocus on Syria but pointed out that the US had not kept some of its promises to Türkiye, particularly the Manbij roadmap.
Incidents of Quran Burning in Europe
Permission for some individuals to publicly burn the Muslim holy book, the Quran, in various European cities became one of the agenda items for Turkish diplomacy.
The execution of such an act under police protection in Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, on Jan. 21, and in the Danish capital of Copenhagen on Jan. 27, was strongly condemned by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Cavusoglu criticized Finland and Sweden, both of which were undergoing NATO membership processes at the time, during a press conference in Budapest on Jan. 31 following his meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
In addressing the implementation of the trilateral agreement signed on June 28, 2022, between Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden, Cavusoglu emphasized the importance of addressing Ankara’s security concerns by taking action against members of terrorist organizations such as FETO and the PKK present in these countries.
Earthquake diplomacy
Following the twin earthquakes that centered Kahramanmaras city in Türkiye’s Mediterranean region on Feb. 6, messages of condolences and solidarity poured in from around the world for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Cavusoglu.
After the natural catastrophe, foreign ministers from Northern Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Libya, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, Jordan, and Costa Rica, as well as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, paid solidarity visits to Türkiye.
Blinken’s visit to Ankara
On Feb. 20, during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara, Cavusoglu objected to linking Türkiye’s F-16 purchase and modernization request from the US to the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland.
On Feb. 27, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Türkiye, meeting with Cavusoglu in southern Mersin province, signaling a crucial step towards normalizing Türkiye-Egypt relations.
G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting
On March 2, during the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi, Cavusoglu called for comprehensive reforms within the UN, emphasizing the need to strengthen regional representation in the UN Security Council.
Speaking at the 23rd foreign ministers meeting of MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Australia), an inter-continental informal consultation and coordination platform, the foreign minister outlined Türkiye’s priorities during its MIKTA presidency as global health, effective migration management, and food security.
UN 5th conference on least developed nations
On March 5, during the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar, Cavusoglu said, “Türkiye continues to fulfill its responsibilities as a longstanding supporter of the least developed countries, and will continue to do so.”
While attending the Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Turkic Council on March 16, the Turkish foreign minister remarked, “The Turkic Council was our collective dream. It has become a reality. We strengthen our institutional infrastructure every day and expand our cooperation into new areas.”
Steps towards normalization with Egypt
After a 10-year gap, the Turkish foreign minister visited Egypt on March 18, expressing the intention to “elevate diplomatic relations to the highest level” during talks with senior officials from the host country.
In April, a significant event was the quadrilateral meeting in Moscow on April 4, involving deputy foreign ministers from Türkiye, Russia, the Syrian government, and Iran.
Then-Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Ankara on April 7, emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue following the quadrilateral meeting in Moscow.
During the visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on April 13, Cavusoglu expressed the intention to fill the new chapter in Türkiye-Egypt relations with joint projects and success stories, noting an agreement to take concrete steps for further development.
In response to the attack on the Quran and the Turkish flag in Denmark on April 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the act.
The statement expressed determination to continue multilateral and bilateral efforts against such despicable attacks, citing them as concrete examples of the alarming rise in Islamophobia and xenophobia in Europe.
Evacuation of Turkish citizens from Sudan
The conflict in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 became a focal point in Turkish foreign policy.
Türkiye closely monitored the process of achieving a lasting cease-fire, which resulted in the evacuation of numerous Turkish citizens from Sudan.
Meanwhile, the unveiling of the Nemesis monument in Yerevan, Armenia, on April 26 drew Türkiye’s reaction.
In a statement, Ankara strongly condemned the opening of the monument in Armenia dedicated to the perpetrators of assassinations against Ottoman political and military leaders and Azerbaijani officials.
Quadruple meeting on Syria
The Syria-focused quadrilateral meeting, involving the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia, Iran, and Syria, was held in Moscow on May 10.
Following the meeting, a joint statement was issued, highlighting substantive discussions on reviving interstate relations between Türkiye and Syria.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the fight against terrorism, emphasizing the importance of increased international assistance for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Syrians and post-conflict reconstruction.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
Türkiye engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to eliminate the risk of a “food crisis” due to the Russia-Ukraine war by extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on May 17 that the agreement had been extended for another two months, thanks to Ankara’s efforts and contributions from Russia and Ukraine.
New Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Cavusoglu, who had been foreign minister since Nov. 24, 2015, handed over the position to former National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Chief Hakan Fidan on June 5.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a joint statement on the 20th “Astana Talks on Syria,” on June 20-21, represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akcapar.
The parties highlighted the need to create conditions within Syria for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Syrians.
Contacts with US
On June 21, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken ahead of the 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.
They discussed the situation in Ukraine, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, NATO expansion, Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization, and bilateral relations.
Fidan also engaged with his counterparts during the conference.
On June 24, the 5th Strategic Mechanism Dialogue meeting addressed the implementation of the Tripartite Agreement between Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden, as well as Sweden’s NATO membership process.
