ON THE QUESTION OF THE FOREIGN POLICY DOCTRINE OF TURKEY: BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA

Abstract

The author investigates traits of foreign policy which is based on ideological principles and values. Osmanism was a cosmopolitan doctrine and extended to all subjects of the empire. It meant that regardless of religious, confessional, ethnic or other affiliation, all subjects of the Osman Empire have equal rights and responsibilities and belong to a single Osman nation. Mustafa Kemal replaced Osman cosmopolitanism with Republican nationalism. He established good-neighborly relations with Russia/USSR – Eurasia, the Balkans – Europe and the Middle East – Asia. After the war, Turkey joined NATO and became part of Europe. T. Ozal supplemented unilateral orientation towards the West during the Cold War with relations with neighboring regions and restored the approaches of Kemalism proceeding however from more extended understanding of nationalism. A. Davutoglu conceptually rationalized foreign policy regionalism in the concept of «strategic depth». Relying on the evolving ideology – neokemalism, T. Ozal and the Justice and Development Party, through their transformations, created a new republic, which restored Ataturk’s regionalism in foreign policy. Therefore, «Neo-Republicanism», «Turkish Regionalism» and «Neokemalism» seem to be more appropriate terms for the issue under study.