With the arrival to power of the party Justice and Development (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi) In 2003, Turkey's foreign policy underwent a resounding change. It stops prioritizing its approach to the post-Cold War West, and translates it into a multilateral opening beyond the traditional allied countries. Turkey governed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is ambitious; Its national interests not only range from consolidating itself as a regional power, but also increasing its presence in regions such as Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, in which it has considerably improved political and commercial relations in the last decade despite the fact that, with these Historically, diplomatic approaches have been few.
Turkish prominence in the region
Knowing and understanding the foreign policy of the Eurasian country towards nearby regions can give our minds a general overview of Turkish performance in these regions.
If there is a country that occupies a "privileged" place within Turkish foreign policy, it is Azerbaiyán. High tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted at the end of last year, ending with a favorable outcome for Baku. Türkiye has openly expressed its unconditional support for Azerbaijan under its “Two States, One Nation” policy. Since Azerbaijan’s birth as an independent republic, Turkey has provided military support and training to Baku. This support is strategic and has had favorable results; with Azerbaijan’s victory, Ankara reaffirms its political leadership and military presence in Western Asia.
On the other hand, Libya has been a controversial issue within Turkey's foreign policy in recent years. The delimitation of the eastern Mediterranean and the dispute over the energy resources present in these waters has led Turkey to increase its presence in Libya through military cooperation with the Tripoli government, which is recognized as legitimate by Ankara, a situation that has uncomfortable to France. Both NATO members had tense debates in 2020, with France accusing Turkey of illegally transporting weapons to Libya.
The political instability and unending Syrian civil war has been the main factor in the number of people leaving Syria exceeding that of World War II refugees; Türkiye hosts nearly 4 million such refugees. With the great importance that the Refugee phenomenon has on the current international agenda, topics such as the role of Turkey, its response to the inability of the European Union and the future of refugees in this country will be the center of recurring debate for a period long of time.
Turkey's prominence in the events indicated above is largely due to its geostrategic position and Ottoman historical heritage.
Turkey's incomplete and failed attempt at EU integration and the consequences of conflicts in neighbouring areas that directly threaten national security have forced its foreign policy, which has long been dominated by relations with the West, to intensify interactions with the "forgotten" regions of Africa and Latin America.
Turkey has joined the fight to gain more spaces of influence in Latin America by China and Russia. There is no doubt that geographical distance has been a great obstacle in the development of Turkish foreign policy in the region, but to overcome this barrier there is no better tool than the soft power and cultural diplomacy. Turkey has known how to take advantage and apply these elements in its foreign policy, becoming one of the most representative cases around the world.
It was once believed that states could rely solely on their military power to lead, but this premise has lost value today. It is vitally important to complement that power with non-coercive strategies that, instead of generating fear, allow for peaceful cooperation and influence in international relations. With this in mind, “Attract and do not impose” has become a priority principle for Turkey in Latin America.
Television is, without a doubt, Turkey's main platform to start gaining positive impressions and improve its prestige in a world where Islamophobia is constantly growing.
The unknown Turkey is now perceived with different eyes by Latin Americans, through Turkish television series a country with a rich history and culture, exotic landscapes and a Muslim society that is not Arab has become known. Turkish soap operas have broken audience levels in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Peru and Paraguay, displacing Mexico and Colombia in the leadership of this television sector.
Before tree From Turkish novels, little was known about Türkiye. Perhaps the most notable event that was the basis of Latin America – Türkiye relations was the Emigration of Ottoman citizens to the "New World" at the end of the 19th century, when the 600-year Ottoman reign was beginning to crumble. On the other hand, Turkish society had little information about this part of the world. As an interesting fact, it is important to note that some in Turkey defend the theory that Muslims arrived in America before the Spanish, having as proof the drawings of the world map of the Ottoman admiral and cartographer, Piri Reis. Theory little known in the West, but which was present in President Erdoğan's speech during a summit of Muslim leaders from Latin American countries organized in Istanbul in 2014.
2006, Year of Latin America and the Caribbean in Türkiye and start of global projections
The 2006 declaration as "Year of Latin America and the Caribbean» In Turkey, it was an important step towards the advancement of relations. It marks the beginning of a period of intensified official visits by the highest political spheres of Turkey and the countries of the region, and the Turkish Grand National Assembly establishes groups of "mutual friendship" with the parliaments of the countries of the region.
Since then, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has visited several countries. Cuba and Mexico in 2015, in 2016 he was the first Turkish president to visit Peru and Ecuador, and the second to visit Chile. Finally, in 2018 he visits Argentina to participate in the G20 summit, and taking advantage of the geographical proximity, he makes a whirlwind visit to Paraguay. Each country has a share of importance on the Turkish agenda; Brazil, Chile or Mexico, for example, represent the main objectives for Turkish product trades. In the case of Venezuela, Turkey has found a commercial and also political partner, as was demonstrated in the visit of the Turkish president to Nicolas Maduro in 2018. The Venezuelan government, which does not have the recognition of the countries in the region, has found vital support in Türkiye for the opening of its trade and economy. The tensions between both countries with the United States have allowed the Caracas – Ankara Alliance to develop, and find common interests.
The results of the official visits are positive for Türkiye. Türkiye's diplomatic presence has multiplied, it has about 16 embassies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, a number that has made it the sixth country with the most embassies around the world, surpassing countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, according to the Lowy Institute's Global Diplomacy index.
Embassies are a key element in promoting Turkish cooperation and humanitarian aid strategies. It is enough to analyze the speeches of President Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu to realize their intentions of wanting to position Turkey as a humanitarian power. Turkey, through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) present in Colombia and Mexico, has provided support to various social impact projects and has facilitated the arrival of medical supplies in times of crisis, for example, the sending of emergency supplies to Mexico during the earthquake of 2017 and 2018. In addition, it has delivered aid to Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay to fight the 2020 pandemic.
Turkey's progress as an actor of global relevance in international relations depends, to a large extent, on its attention to regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean. Television series and humanitarian aid have boosted Turkey's reputation in the region. Furthermore, the visits of political representatives have created key bridges for the development of the multilateralism that Ankara sought. Can we say that this is enough? The answer is no.
Turkey must be more active in the region with a foreign policy that encompasses new alternatives, especially in the context of a Post-COVID 19 world. Extending TİKA headquarters to southern South American countries may result in further intensification of aid and cooperation.
The application of public diplomacy, however, can reach higher levels, for example with increased support for Muslim communities in the region through DIYANET (Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs).
Perhaps Turkey, in addition to continuing visits to the region and being an observer member of organizations on the continent such as the OAS, could invite states from Latin America and the Caribbean to the activities of the organizations where it is a leader, such as those of the Turkic world.
New presidential elections will be held in Turkey in 2023. The following years will show us whether interest in Latin America will continue or was only part of the current government's ambitions.
Internationalist from the University of Selçuk, Türkiye. My life is oriented towards learning new cultures, which, the more remote and unknown, the better!
Passionate about international politics, history and diplomacy; with great perception of international cooperation. He speaks Spanish, English and Turkish; and, through my writings, I will try to explain the world around us to you in a clear and simple way.
"Peace in the homeland, peace in the world."
