The “initiative” field of Turkish foreign policy at the present stage. The case of Somalia

Abstract

The article attempts to comprehensively analyze a new phase of transformation of Turkish foreign policy at the present stage, using Ankara’s policy towards Somalia as an example. By using a significant source base of materials in Turkish, including the program documents of the Turkish Foreign Ministry “Towards a foreign policy...”, as well as academic literature, the author defines a relatively new concept of “initiative and humanitarian” foreign policy of Turkey, identifiestools and assessesthe effectiveness of the implementation of its “initiative” field on the example of Somalia, where Turkey managed to strengthen its influence in a short period of time and take one of the key positions among non-regional actors. The author comprehends Ankara’s experience of applying the “Turkish model” of the foreign policy cooperation and identifies the key lines for applying the model in an “initiative field” within the framework of promoting Turkish national interests in Somalia and on the African continent on the whole. The author concludes that the Turkish model of cooperation, as demonstrated by the example of Somalia, in the mid-term and long-term perspective may quite provide Turkey in the future with the necessary strategic advantages in comparison with other non-regional players due to the effectiveness in the organization of coordinated multi-vector and multi-level work of state structures and non-governmental organizations.