Turkey, Syria and the Western Strategic Imperative

GTE Commentary (Istituto Affari Internazionali) No. 2, July 2012, 2 p

by Ian O. Lesser *

The escalation of the turmoil and violence in Syria, coupled with the tense military confrontation along the Turkish-Syrian border, underscore the marked deterioration of the strategic environment in Turkey’s Middle Eastern and Mediterranean neighbourhoods. Of all Syria’s neighbours, Turkey may have the biggest stake in the outcome of an increasingly desperate internal struggle. The evolution of the Syrian conflict, and its broader regional consequences, will have important implications for Ankara’s regional role, and the future of Turkish-Western relations. The repair of the Turkish-Western strategic relationship is no longer optional, but essential for both sides.

* Executive Director of the Transatlantic Center, the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The opinions expressed
here are the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect the views of GMF.

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