ANKARA, Turkey– Recently, critics across the globe have said that Turkey is drifting away from the West in its foreign policy.  In response, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, predicts a strong Turkey in 2010 by which the country will have a 360-degree view of the globe from Ankara.

Davutoglu expects a very strong Turkey in the upcoming year.  “Turkey’s foreign policy has three main principles: it is vision oriented, not crisis oriented; it is proactive, not reactive; and it is integrated and systematic beyond just a single axis,” said Davutoglu last week during his last press conference of 2009.

In further explaining his visions for the coming year, Davutoglu foresees an EU-member Turkey that is able to spread peace to its neighboring countries in addition to becoming one of the ten most influential countries in the world.

To that end, Davutoglu said there was no room for terror and human rights violations in that vision.  “Freedoms and security should not be set against one another.  The two are valuable once they are both together.  The more the sphere of democracy gets wider, the less the sphere terrorism covers,” said Davutoglu.

In meeting that vision, Turkey’s foreign policy will act quickly in the New Year.  Davutoglu is traveling to Saudi Arabia this week to discuss Turkish foreign policy.  In addition, all of Turkey’s ambassadors throughout the world will convene in Ankara the first week of January to discuss all aspects of the country’s foreign policy.  This meeting, titled “Democracy, Security and Stability: Outlook for 2010 in the World and in Turkish Foreign Policy,” is a full scale attempt by the government in Ankara to generate solutions to problems in the twenty-first century.

Despite their promises to spread peace in the region, Turkey’s recent moves have raised fear among rivals in the region and those in the West because the move comes after years of Turkey ignoring those in the region and so their newfound motive is being questioned.

For more information, please see:

Hurriyet Daily News- Turkish Foreign Minister Meets with Saudi King– 3 January 2010

Hurriyet Daily News- Foreign Minister Vows a Stronger Turkey in 2010– 31 December 2009

Sunday’s Zaman- A Stronger Turkey Means More Rivals in the Region– 13 December 2009