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Türkiye’s rising profile in diplomacy under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaps results in peace-making efforts. Erdoğan’s recent visits abroad are all aimed at advancing peace efforts in conflicts around the world.
The veteran politician reshaped Turkish foreign policy to safeguard Türkiye’s interests and the rights of the oppressed. A compilation by the Sabah newspaper showcases Erdoğan’s commitment to building a reputation as a skilled peacemaker for global issues.
In the Karabakh conflict, a major issue for friendly Azerbaijan, Erdoğan voiced Türkiye’s support in Baku’s fight against the Armenian occupation. The president’s military and political support ended in the resolution of the issue in 44 days, with Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Karabakh War that began on Sept. 27, 2020. It effectively ended 26 years of illegal Armenian occupation and helped Azerbaijan to liberate its lands.
Erdoğan’s diplomatic efforts and support for the elected legitimate government helped Libya end the political turmoil that began in the post-Gaddafi era. Libya moved from a process where armed militia backed by international actors attempted to force their way into the capital, Tripoli, for a coup and heightening conflict to a change of balance in power, thanks to Türkiye’s support.
Winds of peace prevailed in Africa, which had long been subject to the West’s imperialist designs, following Erdoğan’s mediation efforts. In 2024, the president stepped in to resolve the crisis between Somalia and Ethiopia. He hosted Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. What followed was a news conference with two leaders on each side of Erdoğan who announced that the sides reached a compromise in their conflict. Prior to that, Türkiye hosted rounds of talks between Somalia and Somaliland in 2013 and 2014, laying the groundwork for future negotiations.
In 2021, Türkiye offered to mediate between Egypt and Ethiopia following a dispute over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Türkiye also reached out to Ethiopia to mediate an end to the conflict in the Tigray region. Also in 2021, Erdoğan offered to mediate in a peaceful solution to a border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan.
Erdoğan stepped in again when a new conflict broke out between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Türkiye’s intervention to mediate helped the conflict evolve into an all-out war.
Afghanistan and Pakistan held a second round of crisis talks in Türkiye on Saturday, following recent cross-border clashes that left dozens dead and hundreds injured. The neighbors are embroiled in a bitter security row that has become increasingly violent, with each side saying they were responding to aggression from the other.
Last weekend, Qatar and Türkiye mediated a cease-fire to pause the hostilities. The truce has largely held, although the countries’ border remains closed except for Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan.
Under Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye also served as a broker for peace in the Middle East, joining Qatar and Egypt in mediating Israel-Hamas talks and securing a cease-fire to end Israel’s attacks since October 2023 in Gaza.
The longstanding Assad regime in Syria, which thrived on the oppression of its dissidents, also ended in late 2024 thanks to Türkiye’s political support for the new rulers of the neighboring country.
In a speech last August, Erdoğan said that Türkiye has emerged as a trusted and sought-after actor in international peace efforts, advancing with confidence on both diplomatic and economic fronts while maintaining a principled foreign policy that protects the oppressed and avoids reckless adventurism.
