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DAVUTOGLU: CONTROVERSIAL ARCHITECT OF TURKEY'S FOREIGN POLICY
NaharNet, Lebanon
Aug 21 2014
by Naharnet Newsdesk
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who will be Turkey's next prime
minister, is a loyal ally of incoming president Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and the chief architect of an assertive but increasingly controversial
foreign policy.
Davutoglu was named by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
as its sole candidate to be new leader and prime minister to replace
Erdogan. He will take office on August 28.
He will be just the third prime minister since the AKP came to power
in 2002 after outgoing president Abdullah Gul and Erdogan, who has
been premier sice 2003.
Davutoglu's mild-mannered and smiling demeanor belies his abilities
as a tough negotiator and strategic thinker, who has been at the
heart of government since Erdogan first came to power.
His foreign policy defined Ankara as a regional power broker but
Davutoglu, 55, has come under fire in recent months over Turkey's
increasing diplomatic isolation.
After an academic career as a professor of international relations,
Davutoglu became one of Erdogan's top advisors in 2003, the year
Erdogan took the post of prime minister.
He was promoted to foreign minister in 2009 and since then has overseen
Turkish policy on the string of crises which exploded since the Arab
Spring, including the Syria conflict.
- Zero to multiple problems -
Encouraged by Erdogan, who has always pushed for Turkey to become a
world power, Davutoglu has sought a pivotal role for the country as
a mediator in conflicts in the Middle East.
This new policy was not always welcomed and sparked accusations that
the Islamic-rooted government is promoting "neo-Ottomanism" and even
"pan-Islamism" in seeking to restore Turkish influence throughout
the former Ottoman Empire.
He was listed in Foreign Policy magazine as one of the "Top 100
Global Thinkers of 2010" for repositioning Turkey as a "central"
country and dismissing post-Cold War cliches of a bridge country
between East and West.
He has rejected accusations that the country -- a NATO member and a
candidate for European Union membership -- is shifting away from the
West, arguing instead for an integrated foreign policy.
"Turkey cannot prioritize its relations with the East or the West,"
he once said.
Davutoglu has advocated a policy of "zero problems" with neighboring
countries and embarked on fence-mending efforts with Armenia, with
whom Turkey has no diplomatic ties.
But the Arab Spring shattered this policy, leaving Turkey with a
myriad of problems with neighbors.
Relations with Egypt strained following Ankara's support for ousted
Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and disputes with Israel reached new
heights in the wake of the Gaza assaults, making any rapprochement
unthinkable in the medium term.
Turkey now has no ambassadors in three key regional states -- Egypt,
Israel and Syria.
With the West worried about authoritarian tendencies in Turkey,
relations with the United States have cooled and momentum towards
eventual EU membership has been lost.
- 'Strategic Depth' -
Even Davutoglu, a pious Muslim, has now on occasion dropped his smiling
demeanor to make comments reminiscent of Erdogan's own outbursts.
"Apparently, some are asking us to be impartial! Some also ask to
stay away from the Middle East 'swamp.' For us, what they call a
swamp is the center of sacred revelation!" he said to cheers in an
impassioned speech during Ramadan in July.
"With the will of God, we'll hold up a huge torch of civilization in
the Middle East."
A fluent speaker of English, German and Arabic, Davutoglu was born
in Konya, one of Turkey's religiously most conservative provinces
and a bedrock of support for the ruling AKP.
Davutoglu, married with four children, dedicates time to his family
outside of work although he is also known to share Erdogan's passion
for football.
"We like very much driving by car. Ahmet Bey drives himself. We
sing songs with the children," his wife Sare, a doctor, said in an
2011 interview.
"I can say the only thing he likes doing at home is to open boxes of
books and arrange them," she added.
NaharNet, Lebanon
Aug 21 2014
by Naharnet Newsdesk
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who will be Turkey's next prime
minister, is a loyal ally of incoming president Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and the chief architect of an assertive but increasingly controversial
foreign policy.
Davutoglu was named by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
as its sole candidate to be new leader and prime minister to replace
Erdogan. He will take office on August 28.
He will be just the third prime minister since the AKP came to power
in 2002 after outgoing president Abdullah Gul and Erdogan, who has
been premier sice 2003.
Davutoglu's mild-mannered and smiling demeanor belies his abilities
as a tough negotiator and strategic thinker, who has been at the
heart of government since Erdogan first came to power.
His foreign policy defined Ankara as a regional power broker but
Davutoglu, 55, has come under fire in recent months over Turkey's
increasing diplomatic isolation.
After an academic career as a professor of international relations,
Davutoglu became one of Erdogan's top advisors in 2003, the year
Erdogan took the post of prime minister.
He was promoted to foreign minister in 2009 and since then has overseen
Turkish policy on the string of crises which exploded since the Arab
Spring, including the Syria conflict.
- Zero to multiple problems -
Encouraged by Erdogan, who has always pushed for Turkey to become a
world power, Davutoglu has sought a pivotal role for the country as
a mediator in conflicts in the Middle East.
This new policy was not always welcomed and sparked accusations that
the Islamic-rooted government is promoting "neo-Ottomanism" and even
"pan-Islamism" in seeking to restore Turkish influence throughout
the former Ottoman Empire.
He was listed in Foreign Policy magazine as one of the "Top 100
Global Thinkers of 2010" for repositioning Turkey as a "central"
country and dismissing post-Cold War cliches of a bridge country
between East and West.
He has rejected accusations that the country -- a NATO member and a
candidate for European Union membership -- is shifting away from the
West, arguing instead for an integrated foreign policy.
"Turkey cannot prioritize its relations with the East or the West,"
he once said.
Davutoglu has advocated a policy of "zero problems" with neighboring
countries and embarked on fence-mending efforts with Armenia, with
whom Turkey has no diplomatic ties.
But the Arab Spring shattered this policy, leaving Turkey with a
myriad of problems with neighbors.
Relations with Egypt strained following Ankara's support for ousted
Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and disputes with Israel reached new
heights in the wake of the Gaza assaults, making any rapprochement
unthinkable in the medium term.
Turkey now has no ambassadors in three key regional states -- Egypt,
Israel and Syria.
With the West worried about authoritarian tendencies in Turkey,
relations with the United States have cooled and momentum towards
eventual EU membership has been lost.
- 'Strategic Depth' -
Even Davutoglu, a pious Muslim, has now on occasion dropped his smiling
demeanor to make comments reminiscent of Erdogan's own outbursts.
"Apparently, some are asking us to be impartial! Some also ask to
stay away from the Middle East 'swamp.' For us, what they call a
swamp is the center of sacred revelation!" he said to cheers in an
impassioned speech during Ramadan in July.
"With the will of God, we'll hold up a huge torch of civilization in
the Middle East."
A fluent speaker of English, German and Arabic, Davutoglu was born
in Konya, one of Turkey's religiously most conservative provinces
and a bedrock of support for the ruling AKP.
Davutoglu, married with four children, dedicates time to his family
outside of work although he is also known to share Erdogan's passion
for football.
"We like very much driving by car. Ahmet Bey drives himself. We
sing songs with the children," his wife Sare, a doctor, said in an
2011 interview.
"I can say the only thing he likes doing at home is to open boxes of
books and arrange them," she added.