Türkiye has recently emerged as one of the most reliable actors in global diplomacy, according to the country’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

"Foreign policy is a matter of trust and Türkiye is one of the most reliable actors in diplomacy around the world because we do whatever we say we will do and we are open about what we do," Çavuşoğlu said as he addressed a conference titled "Türkiye’s Enterprising and Humanitarian Foreign Policy" in Ankara on Monday.

The Turkish diplomat went on to argue that the existing international system is "insufficient" in the current climate of crises the world is facing.

"The United Nations isn’t enough, neither is the European Union or the European Council. NATO too is in need of a strategic concept. We were at a NATO meeting a couple of days ago and we’re trying to make the alliance more active. We want it to be more effective against tests and threats, which include terrorism," Çavuşoğlu explained.

He said the world needs "enterprising" powers that will take initiative, guide and lead in times of global hardships. "I say this proudly; Türkiye is one of these leading powers," the minister said.

"We have become a global brand in conflict resolution and mediation," he noted, underlining that Türkiye is the only country that leads the co-chairpersonship of the Group of Friends of Mediation at the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

He noted that the Turkic world is "strengthening" its unity with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and becoming a "new geopolitical reality."

"The whole world is beginning to tune into this region. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias also flew there in no time. He’s making certain visits there," Çavuşoğlu said, referring to Dendias' latest trip to Kazakhstan to discuss bilateral and economic cooperation with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Çavuşoğlu pointed out that Türkiye hosted unannounced talks between Russian and U.S. intelligence heads in the capital Ankara in November amid high tension between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine. "Their reason for meeting is important because there is one thing we all wonder in this time of war. Will nuclear weapons be used or not? We all know a catastrophe awaits the world when used. Therefore, it’s important to bring institutions like these together in order to mitigate these risks," he said.

He highlighted Türkiye’s role in preventing a global food crisis by helping coordinate a grain deal between Ukraine and Russia earlier this year. "Thanks to the Istanbul grain deal, grain prices have seen the biggest drop since 2008," he noted.

Çavuşoğlu also commented on the memorandum of understanding Ankara signed with Sweden and Finland about the Nordic countries’ pending bids to join NATO and to address its security concerns as Türkiye accuses the two nations of sheltering terrorists.

He said the PKK/YPG terrorist organization and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which orchestrated a failed coup d’etat in 2016 that left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured, were mentioned in an official NATO document for the first time, "even if indirectly."

"The summit declaration also refers to this document. Türkiye has strived to ensure these terrorist groups are included in these documents," Çavuşoğlu noted.

"Europe currently needs Türkiye," he said.

"There is a war going on right now in the middle of Europe, along with several crises. A continent of which we are a part should be consistent; the growth of its economy is to our benefit. Some people derive pleasure from the worsening economy in Europe but realistically thinking, these negative developments will reflect negatively on Türkiye, as well. Therefore, we need to intensify our focus on Europe just as much," he concluded.