Turkey Changes its Skin in Foreign Policy

Recently, Turkey involved itself in a ‘consultation process’ of Iraq’s neighboring countries, a membership application to the United Nations (UN) Security Council, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) state and government presidents’ summit to be held in spring of 2004.

In addition, Ankara took on the role of ‘presenter’ at the U.N. in its decision to denounce the ‘security wall’ that Israel is building.

With the first ‘consultation process’ of Iraq’s neighboring countries held in Istanbul, Turkey is playing an institutional role.

Ankara also supported the foreign affairs ministers of England, France and Germany when they opposed Iran becoming the new target in the fight against terror.

Turkey and Iran took concrete steps together for solving the terror problem and ensuring border security. The rapid steps in foreign policy have also led to a partnership between Turkey and Syria.

Syria openly supported Turkey’s decision for a troop deployment in Iraq. Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Faruq Al-Shara called on participant countries in the recent Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in Malaysia to look at the details of Turkey’s deployment decision more carefully.