Turkey's efforts of steering international organizations to the crisis in the process of Yugoslavia's disintegration

This study investigates Turkey's responses and initiatives to the crisis of the Balkans, one of the most important regions in Turkish foreign policy agenda, in the 1990s before international organizations. In this study, firstly the Balkans geography, which was evaluated that it can contribute to understanding of the study, was clarified; then the structure of Yugoslavia is examined and disintegration process is investigated as a historical case. The crisis has become an event that should be included by Turkey as an international actor because of historical and cultural ties between Turkey and the region, economic relations and closeness between peoples. Turkey first of all has involved to the events with policy towards the preservation of Yugoslavia's territorial integrity, when the fragmentation becomes inevitable; the policy shifted to direction of security and independence of people, notably Bosnian, in the region and end up of the conflict. The most distinct characteristic feature of Turkey's initiatives is to call attention to international organizations such as notably the UN, NATO, the EU and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. When Turkey's attempts examined, the position of Turkey in the organization in which the attempts has been made has increased to be effective in the results of these attempts. As a result, it was understood that, the efforts for increasing her diplomatic influence before international organizations such as Turkey's membership of the UN Security Council and full membership of the EU should continue to be one of the main goals of Turkish Foreign Policy.