A veteran Turkish diplomat has launched a blistering critique of the AKP government, accusing it and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan of systematically dismantling the institutional identity and meritocratic culture of the Foreign Ministry, known traditionally as the Hariciye.
In a widely circulated article, the former diplomat Namık Tan argues that the government harbors a deep-seated "grudge and resentment" towards the Ministry, viewing it as a bastion of the secular republic it seeks to reshape. The author contends that a deliberate policy is underway to replace meritocracy with loyalty, resulting in the "domination of the mediocre."
The diplomat points to several mechanisms used for this takeover: entrance exams have been simplified, interview panels are packed with political appointees, and opaque promotion algorithms are used to sideline career diplomats in favor of loyalists. This, the author claims, is an ideologically-driven effort to change the Ministry's "DNA."
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, former head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), is singled out for attempting to impose a "counter-intelligence culture" on an institution that thrives on openness, coordination, and communication. The article contrasts the secretive, siloed nature of intelligence work with the collaborative spirit of diplomacy. The author notes the irony that Fidan held high-level posts during the period of widespread FETÖ infiltration into the state, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The piece concludes with a call to restore the Ministry's elite, merit-based recruitment process and its unique republican culture, warning that current policies are eroding one of Turkey's most prestigious state institutions.
Photo: SBS News