Our Foreign Policy

BY YILMAZ OZTUNA

TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on Turkey’s foreign policy. A summary of his column is as follows:

We are members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League. We can participate in their activities, but we shouldn’t have high hopes of them. Although not in the same category, the United Nations’ situation is the same. I hope NATO won’t be the same by staying reluctant to act. We should place emphasis instead on our bilateral relations. In any case, this is classical diplomacy and it never loses its importance. Countries whose bilateral relations are weak are doomed to suffer harm.

The most important issue for Turkey is its European Union membership bid, next relations with the US and then relations with the Turkic Republics. Any mistakes and carelessness we make in those areas will hurt our nation greatly. The EU is a matter of our civilization and our march towards the West. Ataturk emphasized it with the words ‘the level of modern civilization,’ and this is possible only by reaching European standards, norms, criteria and principles. All the revolutions of Ataturk, our reforms prior to him and our innovations since – all exist solely for this goal.

We need a flawless policy with a new start to make up for our tragic delays and mistakes of the past. The government is responsible for everything, but it’s a national policy as well. In addition, it will paint Turkey’s future and provide our children with a bright tomorrow.