"The worst enemies of a sound foreign policy are recklessness, aggressive rhetoric and arrogance, as we have learned bitterly in Turkey. Unfortunately, all of these have characterized the ideological foreign policy of the Turkish government over the past decade," says Twigan.
"The government proudly calls it a new dynamic foreign policy, but in reality this policy has proven to be highly problematic.[/B] This is why our relations with regional countries and traditional allies are at an all-time low," he adds.
Turkey's isolation
Mr. Tuigan, who has served in various posts in the Turkish diplomatic corps and has been Turkey's ambassador to NATO, Brussels, Ottawa, Riyadh and Athens, warns that "the combination of the government's ideological, idiosyncratic, dynamic foreign policy and Turkey's democratic decline has led to the country's international isolation.Turkey has become dangerously unpopular to the delight of our adversaries. Our most understandable concerns, aspirations and interests are prevented by others (Turkey's adversaries)."
With reference to the Greek Prime Minister's recent visit to the US, Mr. Tuigan raises a number of important questions about contemporary Turkish foreign policy: "We Turks must ask ourselves why we face a broad front against us on almost every issue. Are we secretly enriching uranium? Are we in the process of producing nuclear weapons? Are we testing intercontinental ballistic missiles? How did we get to a point where even our understandable concerns are met with hostility, at best indifference? Why do our allies too often keep us at arm's length? Because the combination of our ideological foreign policy dynamics and democratic decline alienates everyone."
The Turkish "veto" on NATO
As part of his intervention, the experienced Turkish diplomat also focuses on the Turkish "veto" on the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden. "Would President Erdogan dare to veto the applications if his demands are not met? Will a diplomatic solution be found? Does this new Turkey-West confrontation have a Russia/Putin dimension? Would Ankara back down on the Finnish application but insist on the Swedish one? Would President Erdogan wait for President Biden to intervene to find a way out? Is he vetoing because of the PKK/YPG?", are the questions he asks.
What are the other issues on their list, Eastern Mediterranean, he also raises the question to conclude that one thing is clear, it would be better for Ankara to use diplomatic channels first instead of making its objection public."
Source: CNA
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