Ankara Is Trying to Have It Both Ways
Gonul Tol
Gonul Tol is the director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute in Washington.
November 15, 2011
The foreign policy vision that opened Turkey to the Middle East was created for an old status quo. Under that vision, Turkey cultivated close relations with autocratic regimes — economically, diplomatically, culturally and politically. The Arab Spring, however, has transformed the regional dynamics, reshuffled the strategic cards of regional and international actors, and altered regional balance of power. Despite initial delays, Turkey has recalibrated its foreign policy course to support the democratic demands of the popular uprisings in the region. By presenting itself as a key supporter of democratic aspirations of the Arab people and allowing the opposition to assemble in Turkey, Turkey wants to maintain its role as a regional leader while avoiding hard-power interventions.
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