Turkey: key country in a changing world

Turkey, a stalwart member of NATO, finds itself poised between Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Central Asia, all of which are of all key importance, either economically or strategically. Ambassador (retired) Diriöz will explain how Turkey seeks to find a balance between these sometimes competing interests.  He will draw on his experience as Turkish Ambassador to Moscow in 2016 – 2019, and as former Assistant Secretary General for Defence Planning and Policy at NATO.

On the occasion of the Open Days of CERIS, Honorary Ambassador Hüseyin Diriöz, former Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Turkey, Former Assistant Secretary General of NATO and Honorary Turkish ambassador to Moscow, Jordan and Brazil, delivered a conference on “Turkey: key country in a changing world” on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022. The ceremony took place in the presence of many ambassadors, the Vice President of CERIS (Since 2021) Mr. Nicholas Williams, the Secretary General of CERIS Ms. Nadia Karorero and the Director of CERIS Mr. Nicolas Cornil.

Ambassador Diriöz is a career diplomat who served his country for 30 years before he joined the NATO. He first joined the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and served in Kabul and Strasbourg before attending the NATO Defence College in Rome in 1987/88. He then returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a further year before joining the Turkish Delegation to NATO for four years. In 1993, Ambassador Diriöz joined the NATO International Staff as Head of the Defence Policy Section and in 1996 he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. From 1998 to 2000 he was Minister-Counsellor in the Turkish Embassy, Washington DC, and on his return he became the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2004 to 2008 he was Turkey’s Ambassador to Jordan after which he returned to the Ministry in Ankara for a year before becoming the Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul. In 2010, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Defence Policy and Planning. After his tenure at NATO, he served as Turkish Ambassador to Brasilia. Subsequently, he was appointed as Turkish Ambassador to Moscow in 2016 – 2019. He retired from the Turkish Diplomatic Service in 2019.  [read more]