When one talks or writes about the foreign policy history of a state like Turkey, which was never colonized but felt the direct threat of colonialism in the first quarter of the 20th century, it becomes inevitable to refer to the establishment of its republic as the origin. Since 30 October 1923, the first day of the Republic, Turkey has always interacted with its close and distant neighbors around the world within a stable range despite several periodic fluctuations. These interactions were sometimes used by the Turkish state to regulate domestic politics, as in the case of humanitarian diplomacy toward African states, which influenced civil society policies. At other times, domestic politics were used to regulate foreign policy, as in the case of reforming institutions to adapt to the European Union’s acquis communautaire. In all respects, Turkey has been able to feel the turning points in its interactions with its distant and close neighbors and has tried its best to guard its national interests.
Turkish Foreign Policy in Its Centenary: The 102 Years of Experience was written to elucidate these turning points in Turkey’s interactions with its distant and close neighbors in three main regions: from the USA, Europe, and Latin America as symbols of the West; to Gulf, African, and Middle Eastern states as symbols of the South; and to Russia, Central Asian, Caucasian, and Oceanic states as symbols of the East. It is not only the first book on Turkish foreign policy with the widest coverage, including 116 of the 196 states in the world, but also one of the most comprehensive works depicting the 102-year history of Turkish foreign policy.