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Since its foundation, Turkey’s foreign policymakers have declined to undertake any pioneering roles in global initiatives, such as assuming the position of the spokesperson of the Islamic world, on international platforms. Given this, the Alliance of Civilizations initiative presents not only a challenge to the traditional parameters of Turkish foreign policy but also a new perspective for Turkish foreign policy. This essay examines the roots of this change, the rise of the notion of the Alliance of Civilizations, and Turkey’s role in this initiative. It also analyzes the impact of Turkey’s role in the initiative on other foreign‐policy issues, such as European Union membership.