Noting that “a country's foreign policy is often defined less by its elected leaders than its behind-the-scenes operators and elder statesmen,” Foreign Policy presented four figures setting the global agenda for the world's emerging powers. “Just as Henry Kissinger set America's for over 50 years,” the journal said.
Describing 51-year-old Foreign Minister Davutoğlu as a keen student of history who is brash and outspoken, the journal said under his guidance, Turkey has strengthened its ties with Arab governments and sought to play the role of mediator in Arab-Israeli conflicts.
The journal also points to Davutoğlu's European Union vision, saying the foreign minister supports Turkey's eventual membership in the EU. "Turkey can be European in Europe and Eastern in the East because we are both," the journal quoted the foreign minister as saying.
Lee Kuan Yew, the 86-year-old former prime minister and current “minister mentor” of Singapore (a cabinet-level position created specifically for him); Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, 67, who is known for his staunch support of the rise of his country and other emerging powers such as India, China and Russia; and Saudi Turki al-Faisal, the 65-year-old former ambassador to Britain and the United States and ex-director of the Saudi foreign-intelligence service, were also on “The world's Kissingers” list.
