ANKARA

With Turkiye recently beginning to warm ties with some states such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a senior Turkish official said new regional initiatives and expedited normalization efforts would mark 2022.

In an interview with Turkiye-based magazine Kriter, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also commented on the country's relations with the US as he said the two countries were currently working on a new mechanism to establish a common and positive agenda.

Underlining that Turkiye's foreign policy has a "360-degree perspective," Kalin said factors like the country's geography, historical background, and strategic priorities, as well as regional threats, made it necessary for it to have dynamic and multi-dimensional relations globally.

"As a strong NATO ally, we have important engagements aside from the Western world," said Kalin.

Continuing to pursue EU membership, Turkiye has at the same time boosted trade ties with European nations and deepened relations with the African continent, as well, he noted.

The Turkish official also said that the "strong ties we have with the Central Asian Turkic republics do not prevent us from establishing good relations with Russia."

Turkiye's neighborhood

On issues and crises at Turkiye's region, Kalin said they "seem to continue," while adding that Ankara's potential and ability to intervene as a mediator in such crises with soft and hard power were gradually increasing.

On the Syrian crisis, Kalin cited his country's single-handed efforts in countering terrorism and preventing a new refugee influx as it safeguards its border.

"We have serious differences of opinion with countries like the US, Russia, and Iran on Syria. Each party is trying to impose their geopolitical agenda on the region and global politics through Syria. Meanwhile, Turkiye insists on the need for global cooperation through both the Geneva and Astana platforms," he added.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.

Noting that Turkiye has to take peace, security, stability, and prosperity into consideration with a broad perspective, he said: "It is unthinkable for us to remain ignorant of regional developments that particularly concern us such as from the Gulf crisis to Libya, from the Karabakh war to the Eastern Mediterranean."

"Thus, in 2022 and in the process leading up to 2023, Turkiye will continue to strengthen its regional and global alliances, while increasing its national opportunities and capabilities with a proactive foreign policy perspective," he stressed.

US-Turkiye ties

On Turkiye-US relations, Kalin said that there were "serious" issues in Washington's perspective on Ankara.

Underlining that the Turkiye has basic expectations from the US, Kalin continued that the Washington should end its support to the YPG/PKK terrorist group in Syria, adopt a realistic and constructive stance on the matter of the S-400 missile defense system Turkiye acquired from Russia, and take determined and consequential steps against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkiye.

"On issues such as the Eastern Mediterranean, the US administration and Congress must take a reasonable and impartial stance," Kalin added.

He also touched on a new mechanism that the US and Turkiye are working towards with the aim of establishing a common and positive agenda.

"With a strategic perspective and a constructive attitude, we can make problems more manageable. This allows us to work more closely in the areas we agree on," he said.

On the country's plans for this year, Kalin said 2022 would be a year of taking new regional initiatives and expediting normalization processes.

"Whoever takes a friendly step towards us, we take two steps (towards them). We care about leaving periodic crises and tensions behind, and taking new normalization steps. We evaluate the recent steps taken with Egypt and the UAE within this framework. Such can be followed by further steps," he said.

Kalin also added that Turkiye's "strong ties with the Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East, and Africa regions will gain more depth."