Ahmet Davutoglu
Turkey’s foreign minister talks about the transformation underway in the Middle East and Turkey’s role in the region.
As the Middle East undergoes historic transformation and upheaval one country is quietly enjoying levels of prosperity and stability that can only be envied by its neighbours – Turkey. And, in its ninth year of rule by the AK Party, the country is perceived as having successfully combined democracy and Islam.
But under the AKP Turkey has done more than improve its system of governance. It has also reached out to the Middle East in a way that no previous Turkish government has.
But as Western governments can tell you, getting involved in the Middle East is not always easy. One man more than any other is responsible for Turkey’s drive to engage: Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister.
He talks to Al Jazeera’s Anita McNaught about the recent developments in the Middle East and explains why he is hopeful that change and stability will work together in Egypt and serve as a positive example for other countries in the region.
This episode of Talk to Jazeera aired from Monday, February 14, 2011.