The second Trump administration’s return to power has triggered a seismic shift in the global diplomatic landscape, and nowhere is this more evident than in Türkiye. While US President Donald Trump’s historic visit to the Gulf last week dominated international headlines, the concurrent flurry of high-level diplomatic engagements in Türkiye signaled a more profound development: Ankara is rapidly transforming into a critical player at the heart of East-West diplomacy. As global power centers fracture and traditional alliances waver, Türkiye is seizing the moment, using its strategic geography, military might, and diplomatic agility to elevate its global role.

This evolution is not simply a result of Türkiye’s internal strategies. The current geopolitical climate – marked by Trump’s distinctive foreign policy doctrine – is particularly conducive to middle powers stepping into leadership roles. Trump’s emphasis on transactional diplomacy, skepticism toward multilateral institutions, and preference for bilateral negotiations over sweeping international consensus has created fertile ground for states like Türkiye to maneuver more freely. In many ways, the “Trumpist zeitgeist” is enabling Ankara to assert itself with unprecedented confidence and impact.

Nowhere is Türkiye’s rising stature more evident than in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Since the early days of the conflict, Ankara has played a balancing act between Kyiv and Moscow, leveraging its unique position as a NATO member with strong economic and diplomatic ties to both parties. While early mediation attempts, such as the grain export deal and prisoner exchanges, brought temporary relief, the conflict remained largely deadlocked.

Last week, Türkiye again stepped into the spotlight by hosting delegations from both Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul. Though Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin were absent, the mere fact that such a meeting........

© Blitz