Being a Turkish diplomat is a full time job, with a bit of exaggeration perhaps, 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week, 4 weeks a month and 12 months a year. This is because Turkey lives in a tough neighborhood. After such an engaging career, retirement is not easy. Some, at least, cannot just say “it’s over when it’s over”. So, in April 2012 he published a book entitled “Diplomat by Choice” (Gönüllü
Diplomat) in which he elaborated on the traditions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and addressed the main international agenda items of our day. The world has been a different place since 9/11. The Middle East is undergoing painful change, hopefully for the better in the middle if not long term. Turkey’s foreign policy had traditionally been a non-partisan issue. It no longer is. All of this led him to think that perhaps he could start sharing his views with a few interested readers. He does not claim to be “Mr.Know-it-all” and write in Shakespearean English. But he guarantees the reader an honest opinion.
