Turkish Foreign Policy During the Rule of Turgut Özal

Abstract

The presented work discusses and analyses important issues of Turkish foreign policy in 1983-1993. In 80-90ies of the twentieth century Turgut Ozal played a crucial role in social-economic and political development of the Turkish republic. He was first a prime minister (1983-1989) and then the president of the country (1989-1993). Economic and political changes made in this period signif­icantly determined further development of the country. It is worth noting that Ozal was the one who envisaged both sides of globa­liza­tion, both prospects and risks, much earlier than his contemporary leaders.

Ozal carried out a rather active foreign policy which aimed at creating conditions for accelerated economic development. Ideol­ogical influence declined in Ozal’s foreign policy and it became more pragmatic. The peculiarity of Ozal’s foreign policy was the fact that it was focused on economic interests of the country.

Taking into consideration the country’s geostrategic and geo­political location, Turkey carried out a diversified and active for­e­ign policy and was focused on improving multilateral coop­eration. Along with relations with western countries, the sign­ifi­cant dire­ction of foreign policy of Turkey in 1980s was approxi­mation with Muslim countries with the purpose of trade-economic cooperation.  In Ozal’s times, foreign policy of Turkey was more focused on such regions as central Asia, Caucasus, the Balkans and Near East. Tur­key was trying to become the political and economic center of these regions. Ozal did not regard relations with eastern countries as a replacement of relations with the West.  Vice versa, this should have contributed to strengthening relations of Turkey with the West.

Ozal considered that Turkey should have become the con­n­e­c­ting bridge between the Islamic world and the western one, which would support development of economic cooperation and signif­i­c­antly contribute to peace strengthening both in the region and the whole world. Ozal was a pragmatic person and his decisions at the int­ernational and regional level corresponded with national interests in that period.  Together with moving to the free market economy and the open door policy Turkey managed to become the region’s leading state. The foreign policy which Ozal government used to carry out in 1980s, played a respective role in this.