Sunday, October 11, 2020

Is Turkish President Erdogan's Foreign Policy A Failure?

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri 


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has for nearly two decades taken strides to transform Ankara's place in the world. Today, his dreams seem further from reach than ever before. 

More than 10 years ago, then-Prime Minister Erdogan made a decisive foreign policy pivot. No longer would Turkey grovel at the gates of the European Union, begging to be let in. Instead, Turkey could once again project regional strength, expand its influence over its former imperial subjects in the East, and become a global force to be reckoned with. 

It was an idea that captured the imagination of his popular base, buttressing his bid to maximize the breadth of his powers. Erdogan's allies in Egypt and Syria made huge political gains in the early years of the Arab Spring, which first began in December 2010 and Erdogan's Neo-Ottoman dream appeared to be materializing. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: After ten years what foreign policy goals have Erdogan achieved? The above commentator sums it up best .... 

.... fast-forward a decade, and the President's allies in the region -- largely groups affiliated with the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood -- are a grossly diminished force. Outside of regional bastions of support in Qatar, Somalia and the Tripoli-based government in war-torn Libya, Erdogan's power projection has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many regional leaders. 

Not much to show after promising so much.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Erdogan still directly controls many mosques in France. He might have more power than that child Macron.


"This would end "consular Islam," a process by which Algeria finances the Grand Mosque of Paris, which then distributes funds to mosques throughout France, and trains the imams in Rabat, Morocco. Four majority-Muslim countries and Turkey send 300 imams to France every year. Turkey is able to control a number of mosques under its Diyanet, directorate of religious affairs, which is used as an instrument of Turkish foreign policy. It states that it is the legitimate representative of Muslims of Turkish origin in France, and that they are expected to show loyalty to Turkey."

Yeah baby, lets have stupid, liberal immigration!