Turkey's Evolving Syria Strategy
Why Ankara Backs Al-Nusra but Shuns ISIS
By Aaron Stein
February 9, 2015
In April 2011, senior members of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) met in Ankara to discuss the unrest in Syria. The meeting focused on Syria and how the government should respond to Bashar al-Assad’s violent suppression of antigovernment demonstrations. For the AKP, the unrest posed a unique set of challenges. Since 2002, Turkey had prioritized good relations with Damascus, arguing that areas of northern Syria were part of what they called Turkey’s “natural hinterland.”
More:Aaron Stein | Turkey's Strategy for ISIS and al-Nusra | Foreign Affairs
