Turkey has been swift to implement its own brand of diplomacy during the
coronavirus pandemic, including deliveries of medical supplies and
plans for long-term cooperation on medical equipment. This cooperative
diplomacy goes hand in hand with an assertive foreign policy,
illustrated by military interventions and challenges to the legal order
in the Eastern Mediterranean. While consistent with the government’s
strategy for 2023—when Turkey will hold both a presidential election and
celebrations of the country’s centennial—this policy is bound to create
increasing difficulties for Ankara’s partners.
Turkey has been sending supplies of medical equipment to countries and
regions chosen for a variety of strategic ends—whether to maintain
stable ties (as with Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), further
geopolitical interests (as with the Western Balkans and various African
partners), or attempt to win favors (as with the United States). Using
its long-haul military cargo planes, Turkey was able to promote these
deliveries to 116 countries through ceremonies carefully choreographed by Turkish diplomats.
Read more at:
Emerging
From the Pandemic, Turkey Rolls Out a More Assertive Foreign Policy -
Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
