A New “Global” Actor or Just a Regional Power? Perspectives on Turkey and its Foreign Policy

Freeman Center for International Economic Policy,
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, presents a Workshop on Global Policy
Professor Binnur Ozkececi-Taner, Hamline University speaking on:
A New “Global” Actor or Just a Regional Power? Perspectives on Turkey and its Foreign Policy
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Humphrey School, West Bank Campus

Turkey is now being considered a regional power with a potential to influence global politics in the 21st century along with Brazil, China, Russia, and India. The country’s strategic location and proximity to the world’s most troubled regions: the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East, have indeed made Turkey an important player in international political, economic and security realms. Nevertheless, views on what Turkey’s role should or will be differ considerably. Is Turkey to be a “bridge” between the West and the Muslim countries, a “buffer” to prevent the spillover of problems from the surrounding volatile regions to Europe, a “barrier” that could problematize the influence of the West on the Middle East, or a “leader” in its surrounding regions? This presentation will briefly chart the evolution of Turkey’s foreign policy since the foundation of the Republic in 1923, discuss the major developments and internal and external factors that have influenced the country’s recent foreign policy, and speculate
about the future of Turkey’s foreign policy

Freeman Center for International Economic Policy,
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Freeman Center for International Economic Policy,
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

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