What was Atatürk’s approach to foreign policy?

To answer the question, 'What was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s approach to foreign policy?', it is necessary to also examine Turkey’s domestic policy.

The basic formula: Peace at home, peace in the world

Our columnist Barış Doster describes Atatürk’s foreign policy with these words:

"Atatürk viewed domestic and foreign policy as a whole and treated them as complementary to one another. According to Atatürk, national sovereignty and full independence are the foundations of the War of Independence and the Republic. As a natural consequence of this, foreign policy must also rise on the basis of anti-imperialism, regional focus, mutual benefit, common interest, and respect for internal affairs. Atatürk’s principle of ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’ is the summary and formula of this. A foreign policy that is not ambitious, resentful, or aggressive, and is far from expansionism, adventurism, and idealism, is the ideal foreign policy not only for our country but also for our neighbors and the countries of the region."

A pioneering, not timid, foreign policy

The principle of peace at home, peace in the world does not mean that a passive policy will be pursued. "In foreign policy, it is never passive, cowardly, or timid. On the contrary, it is proactive, pioneering, and courageous when the country’s interests require it. The Balkan Entente (1934), the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits (1936), the Saadabad Pact (1937), and the annexation of Hatay to the motherland (1939) are examples of this."

News Source: 12punto

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