It is a great pleasure to join Türkiye and Turkish language enthusiasts in the British civil service.

As we celebrate our centenary, I will share a brief account of Turkish foreign policy in the past century.

Like any other nation, our foreign policy has been guided by national interest and certain principles.

In 1923, Türkiye took its rightful place in the world after a long war of independence. Remember that the First World War had already inflicted heavy damage on the entire nation.

So, in the early years of the Republic, the primary focus was to introduce and implement reforms, transform the country, and secure recognition in the world and build peaceful ties with regional countries.

You all know our founding father, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He was not only a strong military strategist but also an able leader and statesman.

He aimed to build a new nation and establish Türkiye as a modern state. His main foreign policy motto has guided a century of foreign policy steps: "Peace at Home, Peace in the World."

The policy underlined a focus on using diplomatic means to address conflicts as well as creating a belt of peace and stability around Türkiye.

This policy resulted in one of the best periods in Turkish-Greek relations and the creation of a pact among Balkan nations.

Dear friends,

Times have changed, as have the various foreign policy steps of Türkiye. However, fundamentals have remained the same.

Any foreign policy is shaped by its geography, identity, and international dynamics.

The onset of the Cold War changed the geopolitics, and Türkiye made its choice in the Western bloc by becoming a NATO ally in 1952.

The natural continuation of this Western orientation is Türkiye’s membership or relationship in many other European institutions, including the EU, Council of Europe, OECD, and the OSCE.

During the Cold War, Türkiye witnessed three military coups. These were all setbacks in the democratic and economic progress of the country. However, the foreign policy fundamentals largely remained in place, given also the static nature of the larger international setting.

Dear friends,

The end of the Cold War initially saw a short period of relative calm and optimism in international relations. This has also positively reflected on Turkish foreign policy choices.

This provided a new opportunity for Turkish foreign policy to adapt to a changing world order and re-embrace a multidimensional foreign policy approach.

As a matter of fact, with the depth and extent of its culture and geography, we have the ability to speak the same language with many regions and cultures. These include the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, and Africa, among others.

This policy had concrete results in trade, investments, increased cultural and political ties with many different actors.

For instance, trade with Africa has increased from 5 billion to 40 billion dollars in the last two decades. Trade with Latin America has increased tenfold, from 1 billion to 15 billion dollars.

Unfortunately, beginning from the late 2000s, the geopolitical landscape started to be marked by great power rivalry and conflicts. Wars in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan have failed, the Arab Spring has ended with failed states, and peace has yet to come to the Balkans.

We are living in a multipolar world, and conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East are taking lives.

In this difficult setting, Turkish foreign policy has adapted to changes to secure its security and welfare. We have utilized both soft and hard power elements to this end.

For instance, while Türkiye has become the largest refugee hosting nation and a global champion of humanitarian aid (#3 in development aid), it has also been compelled to take military action to address the terrorism threat on its southern border.

Obviously, we remain committed to resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. And we have led efforts to this end in the Balkans, Africa, and Latin America. Today, we try our best to put out the fire in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Türkiye’s ability to have meaningful dialogue with great powers despite differences, as well as its capability to cooperate with various regional powers have provided it with an immense diplomatic ability. The Black Sea Grain Initiative was a testament to this.

This is also valid for new global challenges. From energy and food security to climate change, Türkiye has become an indispensable actor.

Dear friends,

It is not possible to give a full account of the past century in such a short period.

Although our policy choices have changed in line with regional and international changes, we have remained a beacon of stability in a volatile region.

As we celebrate our Republic's centenary and despite the increasingly bleaker international setting, we look to the future with optimism.

This get-together is about Turkish foreign policy from a perspective but let me also underline the strategic nature of our bilateral ties with the UK.

Our bilateral relations have flourished over the years, and I am confident they will continue to do so. And, for this, the commitment of the civil service is obviously key.

Let me stop here and take your questions. Thank you.