Dr. Mehmet Köse, Chairman of the Board of the Africa and Middle East Foundation, drew attention to the decisive influence of civil society on foreign policy at the 20th Anatolian Gatherings.
At the second session of the 20th Anatolian Gatherings symposium held in Ankara, the role of civil initiatives in global politics was comprehensively evaluated. Taking the podium, Dr. Mehmet Köse, Chairman of the Board of the Africa and Middle East Foundation, participated with his speech titled “The Impact of the Diversification of Decision-Making Mechanisms on Foreign Policy,” offering participants an insightful perspective. Stating that the understanding of diplomacy as being solely the monopoly of official institutions has been left behind, Dr. Köse noted that every individual, from tourists to migrants, has the potential to be a carrier of messages.
“EVERYDAY” DIPLOMACY
Building the fundamental pillars of civil diplomacy around the concepts of message, actor and institutionalization, Dr. Köse explained that creating strong public support is essential for the permanence of public policies. He argued that the term “everyday diplomacy,” which encompasses interactions in daily life, better summarizes today’s diplomatic processes. Pointing to the strong civil diplomacy opportunity contained in regional migration movements toward Syria and the Arab geography, Köse conveyed this strategic situation in the following words: “There are millions of people who speak two languages and know two cultures well in relation to Syria and the Arab geography. If you make proper use of this population’s civil structures and organizations, the interruption that has existed in this geography for a long time will disappear.”
