Spain and Turkey: can relations further widen and deepen?

Turkey Policy Brief Series (IPLI – TEPAV) 10th edition, 2013, 9 p.                   Français

by Eduard Soler i Lecha *

This policy brief evaluates Turkish foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa in the wake of recent revolutionary events in the region. The brief places Turkey’s reaction to the Arab Spring within the broader trends in international politics as well as the regional geopolitical trends. It analyzes the manner in which Turkey approached the Arab Spring and how its policies have affected Ankara’s position, both domestically and in the region. After reviewing the transformations in Turkey’s relations with several of its neighbors during that process, the brief also critically examines the criticisms raised against Turkey’s policy as well as the opportunities and risks in the region. The brief argues that after facing political difficulties and suffering economic losses during the transition period, Ankara is now increasingly keen to develop friendly diplomatic and economic relations with new administrations in these countries.

* Dr. Eduard Soler i Lecha is Research Coordinator at CIDOB, Barcelona Center for International Affairs. He is also a part-time lecturer in International Relations at the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals and at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

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