Ahmet Davutoglu: A New Era in Turkey’s Foreign Policy? A Perspective from Cyprus
Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis (Ambassador a.h.)
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus
Roundtable Presentation
28 July 2009
When Chris Pelaghias asked me a month ago to choose a subject for presentation at the next roundtable of ERPIC, I immediately responded that I would like to speak on Ahmet Davutoglu’s foreign policy approach and agenda, as it emerges from his theory of “strategic depth” and from the policies pursued by the Justice and Development Party since it came to power nearly seven years ago. This is because in recent months I have been studying more thoroughly Turkey’s foreign policy and especially the main theorist and architect of Turkey’s evolving foreign priorities, Ahmet Davutoglu, the current foreign minister of Turkey. It has always been my firm conviction that studying your adversary’s policies and objectives, a country may be in a better position to analyze and evaluate all the dimensions of its strengths and weaknesses as well as any possible prospects for future transformation of their relations. Studying Turkey has always been fascinating, especially studying Turkey’s foreign policy and diplomacy which I consider the most successful asset of this complex and multi-dimensional country.
Ahmet Davutoglu: A New Era in Turkey’s Foreign Policy? A Perspective from Cyprus.pdf