Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu delivered a lecture entitled “Changing Turkish Foreign Policy in Changing World” at the annual meeting of Ditchley Foundation which is one of the prominent think-tank institutions of the United Kingdom. A distinguished group of politicians, academics, representatives of think-thanks, journalists and diplomats participated in the meeting.

At his lecture Foreign Minister Davutoğlu stated that new elements of changing Turkish foreign policy in a changing world are security-freedom balance and efficient cooperation/partnership with adjacent regions and countries. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu expressed that Turkey is today pursuing an active foreign policy in every adjacent region and country from Afghanistan to Somalia. He said that Turkey became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the first time after 50 years in 2009-10 periods and announced once again its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the period 2015-2016. He also underlined the similarities between the agenda items of the UN Security Council and the the issues of Turkish foreign policy.

Expressing that Turkey has been following a principled stance on Arab Spring from the very beginning and is supporting legitimate aspirations of the peoples of those countries, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu emphasized that in the same respect, Turkey will continue to stand by the Syrian people.