Through term presidencies of several international organizations, Turkey to assume key roles on global stage next year

Turkey has been reaping the rewards of its more active foreign policy in recent years. Thanks to this policy, Turkey will be holding term presidencies of four international organizations next year, thus taking more active roles on the international stage than ever before. Progressing towards becoming a global actor by winning a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2009-2010 period, Turkey will engage in active diplomacy with strong says both in Europe and Asia. In addition to taking over two important subcommittees, namely Afghanistan and Fight against Terrorism, working under the Security Council from South Korea as of early next year, Turkey will also undertake the term presidencies of the European Council and the Balkan Stability Pact. The latter is of added importance because it coincides with a time when the Balkan region is set to enter a problematic period due to the looming problems of high complexity concerning Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Turkey is also getting ready to preside over another important international organization in another strategic part of the world. Turkey will take over the term presidency of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) from Kazakhstan during a CICA summit meeting to be held in Istanbul next summer.