Turkey Balances East-West Interests Over Syria
Mohammed Ayoob, Michigan State University | January 16, 2012
Turkey is now spearheading a joint Western-Arab-Turkish policy of forcing President Bashar Assad to cede power in Syria. ++ Previous good relations with Syria and Iran were part of a "zero problems with neighbors" policy. ++ Turkish attempts to mediate between the US and Iran have been wrongly interpreted as an "Islamic" foreign policy; their turn to the East is in fact based on solid strategic and economic calculations. ++ Turkey is attempting to maintain both a relationship with the West and establish new ties with its Muslim neighbors.
