So there are three timeline that can be argued as the beginning of an independent turkish foreign policy. cyprus 1974, 1990 end of cold war, and around 2008 and onward. However, I personally think it is best realized from 2008 in a broader and more practical sense. So I don't think my argument is wrong because it is not an absolute one . I do recognize the significance of Cyprus and 1990.
Your thoughts are too simple. All nations are limited according to their means.
Turkey always pursued an independent policy within her means. Turkey at the end of world war one was 10 million and had next to no industrialisation, during world war 2 we had the soviets, Nazi's and allied forces on our borders. Our population was only 15 million, but were able to plot a course that left us protected from the war.
This narrative of Turkey starting an independent policy is nonsense. Even today the reason Erdogan cannot achieve his ambitions in syria is because he has to take into account what others could do to Turkey namely, USA, Russia and EU.
Comparatively all that's changed in this era is that while Turkey has grown in population and progressed in her industrialisation at the same time our main rivals have fallen away.
400 million soviet union that was competing with the USA to be the worlds only super power has collapsed, Russia today continues to fail as seen in Ukraine. Greece whose population was the same as Turkeys at the end of our independence war has remained at 10 million while ours continues to grow.
So naturally we can move more and achieve more. Arguably Erdogan is ruling Turkey at maybe her easiest times since the foundation. Even then we are making colossal geopolitical failures as seen in syria.
But an independent policy doesn't mean you ignore your surroundings, thats not possible, not even for the USA. Ignoring the geopolitical realities is why we failed so badly in Syria. Dived head first in without taking into account what the ambitions of the USA, Russia, EU and Isreal were.