Turkey’s forays into the Middle East

For most of the 20th century, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) rarely appeared on Turkey’s radar as anything other than a source of threats. The Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) 2002 ascension to power changed this, and Turkey increasingly began to turn toward MENA, especially as its prospects of joining the EU waned. Politically, Ankara pursued a “zero problems in the neighborhood” approach, forging strong commercial ties and mediating in disputes. The region’s complexities, however, and Arab fears of Turkey aspiring to “neo-Ottoman” dominance, created early stumbling blocks. By 2017, Turkey found it had plenty of problems in the neighborhood and preciously few friends. With the narrative of a “Turkish model” for MENA at rest, Turkey is now struggling to fashion a strategy that would allow it to deflect challenges emanating from the region while shoring up its influence over its immediate neighbors.