New Turks with “Zero Problems”

One of the most striking regional developments of 2009 has been the reemergence of Turkey as a major player within the greater Middle East. Since its establishment in 1923, the country followed the credo of its founding father, Kemal Ataturk, and oriented its foreign policy westward, showing a cold shoulder to eastern neighbors. Today, however, under the “divine guidance” of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Ankara’s alignment is changing significantly. While mindful of not shutting the door on Europe or irking Washington, Ankara is increasingly looking east, which in 2009 produced a multitude of protocols and agreements with countries such as Syria, Iraq, Iran and even Armenia. One of the main architects of Turkey’s shift in foreign policy is the AKP’s Ahmet Davutoglu, a political scientist and former professor of international relations, who served as a special adviser to Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan before being appointed as Turkey’s