"Diplomacy Is Civilized Nomadism"

The 4th week of the Diplomat School was held with the participation of Bahçeşehir University faculty member Prof. Dr. Sabri SAYARI, Head of the Human Resources Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye Ali FINDIK, Former Ambassador serving at the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Jerusalem Dr. Ercan ÖZER and Director of the Foreign Policy Platform at Istanbul Kültür University, Retired Ambassador Murat BİLHAN.

In addition to topics that are constantly on Türkiye's agenda, such as Turkish-American relations, American lobbies, the Israel-Palestine conflict and Turkish-Greek relations, participants were also informed about the structure and working conditions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In summary, the participants said the following:

Prof. Dr. Sabri Sayarı:
"Turkish-American relations have been shaped largely around security issues. Although we are the country with the strongest anti-American sentiment after Pakistan, this has not been reflected in governments' foreign policies. Good bilateral relations between the leaders have created a positive atmosphere in Turkish-American relations. The frequent meetings and closeness between Obama and Erdoğan have had a positive effect on relations."

Ercan Özer:
"Ercan Özer stated in particular that the origin of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the Sykes-Picot Agreement concluded in 1916. Özer said that with the Balfour Declaration announced in 1917, the genie was, in a sense, out of the bottle. The rivalry between Hamas and Fatah has harmed the Palestinian cause itself. At the root of the Palestinian issue lies the uncertainty over borders and land division."

Ali Fındık:
"Diplomacy is a kind of civilized nomadism. Before deciding to work at this institution, you need to develop yourself in many areas and be convinced that you are ready for any conditions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to be knowledgeable about every issue."

Murat Bilhan:
"A policy of profiting from Greece's economic crisis would not be honest; a policy of gaining from someone else's misfortune is not ethical. During World War II, Türkiye provided very substantial aid to Greece. This crisis has shaken Greece's position within the EU and ruined its reputation. Instead of taking advantage of this crisis, it would be more appropriate for Türkiye to help create an environment for solutions to the problems."