Illusions versus reality: Turkey’s approach to the Middle East and North Africa

Policy Brief (FRIDE) nº 200, April 2015                                                                       Español

By Soli Özel & Behlül Özkan *

Turkey’s once so promising standing in the Middle East and North Africa lies in ruins. This is because the Turkish government – driven by ideology rather than pragmatism – has squandered its regional geopolitical capital since the 2011 Arab uprisings. Ankara lost its gamble on Islamists holding power in transitioning Arab countries and discredited its support for democratisation, which, amongst other things, has dramatically reduced Turkish influence across the region. As a result, regardless of the government’s rhetoric, Turkey will likely reposition itself in the coming years along more traditional lines, closer to its ally the United States while mending relations with key regional powers.

This Policy Brief belongs to the project ‘Transitions and Geopolitics in the Arab World: links and implications for international actors’, led by FRIDE and HIVOS.

* Soli Özel is Lecturer at Kadir Has University and Behlül Özkan is Assistant Professor at Marmara University.

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