The fifteenth edition of the Ambassadors conference was held in Ankara on December 9th. The event, held since 2008, brought together Ambassadors currently serving abroad and at home as they convened with the theme “Türkiye’s Diplomacy Moves and the Global Reflections”.
The conference tackled a handful of vital subjects such as Türkiye’s relations with the European Union, economic diplomacy, humanitarian stances, regional stability, and Türkiye’s position in NATO. During the opening of the conference held at a hotel in Ankara, Fidan signposted the themes of the conference by stating, "We have allocated extensive time for panels covering fields such as defence, security, intelligence, economy, finance, connectivity, industry, transportation, justice, communication, environment, energy, migration, and culture. Additionally, we aim to bring theory and practice together in foreign relations by organizing an academic day."
Türkiye’s Stance Regarding the European Union
When addressing Türkiye’s ongoing attempts to join the European Union, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan stated, " Our intention to advance our relations with the European Union (EU) from the perspective of full membership remains unchanged. We emphasise at every platform that the process being disrupted by narrow political objectives results in a strategic loss primarily for the European Union."
Türkiye has applied for a full EU membership many times in the past and the attempts have been complex and politically charged process. After the initial application and candidacy status, Tükiye was eligible for negotiations following Helsinki’s official recognition of the application.
However, the negotiations have faced numerous challenges due to Türkiye’s problematic political and economic history. Some of the major arguments against the candidacy include concerns about Türkiye’s human rights record, freedom of expression, and the rule of law, and not only that, Türkiye does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus -an EU member- and maintains troops in Northern Cyprus. The EU also raised questions of concern over Türkiye’s current economy and whether it aligns with the union’s standards.
While Türkiye has acted upon some of the disagreement points on the way to accessing an active candidate status, many are frozen due to political disagreements and lack of reform progress in Türkiye. Given Türkiye’s decades-long fruitless attempts to mend relations with the EU, Does Fidan’s statement reflect a genuine effort to work towards meeting the union’s humanitarian and economic standards at last?
Türkiye’s Economy and Trade in Foreign Policy
Due to the active domestic economic crisis in Türkiye, foreign economic policies have been neglected. To address the overarching and omnipresent issue of economic relations, Fidan chose to briefly mention it by stating, "An important pillar of our foreign relations is economy and trade. Our ambassadors are engaged in significant activities such as creating new business opportunities in new markets, promoting investments, and introducing Turkey's economic strength to other countries." It has also been stated that roundtable meetings were organised with DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Council), although the specific topics of the meetings were not elaborated upon.
Türkiye’s Global Role
To accentuate the integral role of Türkiye’s global role and impact Fidan said, "Due to our location connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Turkey is a natural partner in many connectivity projects. […] We attach strategic importance to the Middle Corridor through the Caspian." However, the Minister did not elaborate on how the government is planning to utilise the country’s geographical advantage.
Fidan made broad statements regarding Türkiye’s global strategy saying, “We face various challenges such as terrorism, irregular migration, xenophobia, Islamophobia, the climate crisis, and cyber threats. […] It is essential to accurately understand the current state of the international system, make precise analyses, and produce sound policies."
Once again the statements regarding the vital issues Türkiye faces fell on the vaguer side, however, the mention of irregular migration brought up the recent developments in Syria into discussion given the flow of irregular Syrian immigration into Türkiye due to the unstable political environment in their nation.
Fidan spoke on the news stating, "We will continue our efforts to ensure the safe and voluntary return of Syrians and to rebuild the country." Fidan, after emphasising that a new era has begun in Syria, stated, "In the future, we desire a Syria where different ethnic and religious groups live together under an inclusive governance approach and in peace. We want to see a new Syria that will have good relations with its neighbors and bring peace and stability to the region. We are ready to provide the necessary support for this." Which was received as a hopeful promise by the public, given that the Turkish government has been assuring the same commitment for years.
Türkiye’s Stance about Gaza Ceasefire and Russia-Ukraine
The humanitarian crisis in Palestine has been one of the centerpieces of the conference. Fidan stated, “We emphasised from the outset the need for a solution to the problem based on a two-state solution with a regional guarantor proposal against the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. […] Our support for Palestine will continue until a Palestinian state is established based on the 1967 borders.” He also criticised the UN’s inactivity regarding the matter, "The inability of the United Nations (UN) Security Council to say 'stop' to the genocide in Gaza conducted by Israel, which has so far claimed the lives of over 44,000 Palestinians, clearly reveals the global governance crisis and the need for UN reform."
The government of Türkiye has been an avid supporter of Palestine since Israel bombed the Gaza Strip and officially launched an invasion in October 2023. Moreover, on May 2nd, 2024, President Erdoğan announced that Türkiye would be one of the first nations to stop trade relations with Israel, even though Türkiye relies heavily on the state’s exports, which was greatly commended by pro-Palestinian counterparts. However, months after this statement by President Erdoğan, left-affiliated media organs revealed that trade with Israel was still ongoing both directly and mostly through third parties.
The Turkish government has also made considerable contributions to the cause, as Fidan also mentioned during the conference, “Türkiye ranks as the most generous country in the world in terms of humanitarian aid relative to its gross national product." This fact was heavily criticized by opposition parties and supporters due to the country’s diminishing economic performance- seeing it as a nonstrategic move to make such considerable government spending while the inflation in the country has “gone off the charts” in the past years.
On the other hand, Fidan’s account of the Russia-Ukraine War was much less personal, as he chose to make a brief mention that, “The Russia-Ukraine War carries the risk of turning into an East-West conflict. […] This war has brought global inflation, economic stagnation, and food security issues along with it." The mention of the Russia-Ukraine War turning into an East-West conflict raises the question of whether Türkiye would be under any geopolitical risks moving forward.
Türkiye’s Plans Regarding Regional Relations
Minister Fidan briefly touched upon the country’s regional relations, considered a neglected and inactive matter by many. Fidan revealed, "We continue efforts to develop relations in every region, from the Middle East to the Caucasus, Asia to Africa, and Europe to the Americas." “We are deepening our cooperation with Iraq, especially in security. We are developing relations with Greece within the framework of a positive agenda. We maintain our constructive, leading role in the Balkans, prioritising interaction with all actors."
Türkiye and NATO
Fidan clarified that Türkiye will continue to maintain the status quo regarding its strategic position with NATO. He noted that Türkiye continues to meaningfully contribute to NATO’s alliance given its military and defence industry ecosystem.
Fidan also mentioned that the Turkish government expects its NATO-affiliated allies to support Türkiye in regards to fighting against terrorist organisations that Türkiye has been struggling with, including FETÖ, PKK, and DHKP-C. Fidan also demonstrated criticism towards the alliance, emphasizing the need for allies to keep away from political and economic actions that go against the ethos of the alliance, such as export restrictions.
Edited by: Yağmur Ece Nisanoğlu, Ömer Gökce