Turkey is sometimes a very strange country. Prior to the local elections, there was an overwhelming consensus that the foreign policy followed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was successful.

Particularly, our neighborhood policy and new thinking that put Turkey at the center of a number of intersecting regions was seen as a genuine approach that not only advanced Turkish national interests, but also complemented Turkey's Western vocation. Since the local election results did not match the high expectations we set for ourselves, there seems to be a tendency to paint everything this government undertakes in a very negative light.

The transformation of perceptions about a number of foreign policy issues is perplexing and even frightening. I find it understandable that the opposition to the AK Party is jubilant over the election results and feels that it is possible to make gains at the ballot box. Frankly, this is a healthy development from our perspective. We do prefer to compete at the ballot box rather than dealing with shady networks that contemplate nondemocratic means to topple governments. Yet, the direct reflection on the foreign policy agenda is astounding. Instantly, everything this government is doing on the foreign policy front has become very questionable. The strong opposition to our genuine efforts of normalization with Armenia, the elections in northern Cyprus, the Rasmussen affair and the visit of US President Barack Obama are all taken out of proportion and exaggerated negatively to strike at an area of policy that is commonly viewed as very successful.

The efforts for Turkish-Armenian normalization have always been undertaken in a manner that involved very intimate discussions with Baku. There was nothing that was not shared with the leadership in Azerbaijan. Both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdullah Gül have informed President İlham Aliyev at every step of the process. It is regrettable to see how public opinion in Azerbaijan has been turned against a historic process of normalization and a simultaneous advancement in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Turkey feels that normalization between Ankara and Yerevan would also contribute to the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

The elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) are another point worthy of examination. Suddenly, news in the Turkish media indicated that the National Unity Party (UBP) was leading the elections, which was portrayed as the comeback of a more nationalist policy in northern Cyprus. It needs to be known that regardless of who wins the election in northern Cyprus, this government remains committed to a UN-sponsored solution to the dispute on the island. Nothing will change from our perspective in relation to our approach to the UN-sponsored talks. KKTC President Mehmet Ali Talat will remain as the primary interlocutor leading the talks for the Turkish Cypriots.

Despite the drama the Rasmussen affair has attracted in the international media, we feel that the concerns raised by Ankara were primarily raised from a viewpoint that takes NATO very seriously. The compromise that ensued was in fact an indication of Turkey's increasing role in intra-European bargaining. The only bad taste left was due to the comments of some European leaders who seemed to have confused NATO with the EU. We believe President Gül has responded to them in the most appropriate manner.

Finally, the Obama visit was very successful, from whichever angle one looks at it. The opposition saw a victory in the fact that Obama did not qualify Turkey in terms of "moderate Islam." That was fine with us as well. We never described ourselves in those terms in the first place. However, as the German Marshall Fund's Ian Lesser recently alluded to in his analysis of Turkey, it is equally unrealistic that "Turkey's cultural and religious background are irrelevant to the country's international role." Ironically, the opposition in this country managed to portray the visit as unsuccessful when a good part of the world watched in envy.

The artificial atmosphere created in the aftermath of the local elections is nothing more than a charade. Friends and foes should operate on the basis that our foreign policy will continue to be guided by the principles set out in 2002, which have transformed this country from a second-rate actor to a regional hegemon.