Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Cyprus Policy Center (CPC) and Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Political Science and International Relations co-organized a panel titled “Current Directions in Turkish Foreign Policy: Strategy, Shifts and Challenges”.
Delivering a speech at the beginning of the panel, Chair of both EMU Department of Political Science and International Relations and the EMU-CPC, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sözen welcomed everyone attending the event and introduced Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehtap Kara, Research Assistant Vera Liubchak and Research Assistant Oğuz Ufuk Haksever, the speakers of the event, to the attendees.
During the panel, Assist. Prof. Dr. Kara opened by outlining Türkiye’s strategy of protection within the framework of major power rivalries, explaining how the country uses a “hedging” strategy to turn international circumstances to its benefit. Subsequently, Research Assistant Vera Liubchak presented Türkiye’s vision of its position in the global system, focusing on its relations with Russia and the United States. Liubchak noted that maintaining relations with both powers allows Türkiye to assert itself as a prominent regional hegemon.
In his presentation, Research Assistant Oğuz Ufuk Haksever focused on the twofold populism present in the AKP’s foreign policy. He examined Türkiye’s transition from pursuing a federal resolution to endorsing a two-state solution regarding the Cyprus conflict.
In the highly-interacted panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Sözen, the panellists thoroughly explored Türkiye’s foreign policy strategies, the changes it has undergone, and the challenges confronting it, responding actively to audience questions.