Zafer Sirakaya, deputy chairman of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in charge of international relations, explains to Kathimerini the important role he believes his country has in the new political landscape formed after Donald Trump’s re-election as US president.
Sirakaya belongs to the close circle of associates of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is a member of parliament for Istanbul, while he is considered an expert in relations with Europe. He was born in Germany, and continued his studies at Turkey’s Bilkent University, in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. He completed his MBA at the University of Wales in the United Kingdom.
“Turkey arouses interest with its geostrategic position in a fragile and complex geopolitical environment and in an atmosphere where the global balance of power is being reshaped. Our country pursues a multifaceted foreign policy in parallel with the multipolar world order, which is becoming increasingly evident,” he tells Kathimerini.
He cites the mediating role that Turkey took on after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine for the meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in 2022, as well as the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2022 and the prisoner exchange in August 2024. “Especially with the re-election of Trump as president in the US, the extent to which a peace in Ukraine will become possible is an issue that we are following very closely, as it cannot be ‘read’ independently of Turkey. The fact that Istanbul was recently chosen for the second round of talks between US and Russian delegations aimed at normalizing bilateral relations and ending the conflict in Ukraine is a very important development in this regard,” the AKP deputy chairman says.
“In the changing world order, Turkey is a country that can maintain open channels of dialogue both with its allies in the European security architecture and with its partners in Eurasia,” Sirakaya says, adding that his country can create the basis for dialogue with all actors and demonstrate an impartial approach.
“The only way to ensure the sustainability of a possible peace between the parties is for our country to play a leading role as a strategic balancing force, since it has the second largest army in the NATO alliance and strategic depth in its southeastern side, while it is also the bridgehead of Eurasian geography due to its geographical location,” he continued.
What is Ankara seeking
According to information, Ankara’s desire is to join the European defense system, with two main, immediate goals: The first is participation in the European Defense Industry Program (EDIP), which aims to encourage EU countries to produce and purchase weapons together. According to Turkish press reports, France, which initially wanted third countries to be excluded from this initiative, seems to have been reversing its position in recent months. According to the Hurriyet newspaper, although Turkey’s high production capacity and the adoption of an innovative approach are considered important advantages, it is not clear whether its participation in the project will be approved.
Another one of Ankara’s expectations is that its 2021 application to participate in the EU’s military mobility scheme and which some liken to a “Military Schengen,” will be accepted. “Military Mobility,” which is coordinated by the Netherlands, ensures the transfer of military elements from one country to another without raising bureaucratic obstacles.