In 1994, the new South Africa emerged as a promising foreign policy actor. It launched ambitious plans to develop the continent and expressed a strong commitment to the global South. The country has become a legitimate voice of Africa on the world scene but its foreign policy is plagued by ambiguities.

Who would have thought of comparing or matching Turkey and Brazil? Well, illustrious Brazilian author Jorge Amado did it when he wrote a great novel about a Turk, in fact an Ottoman Arab migrant, roaming the roads of Brazil in the early years of the 20th century. NOREF director Mariano Aguirre did it when he asked me to write two briefing notes on the ‘new foreign policy’ of these two countries. And finally Turkey and Brazil did it when last year they joined together to propose their mediation in the Iranian nuclear crisis.