Die Zukunft arabisch-türkischer Beziehungen

Is Turkey drifting eastward? Is it aiming for an Islamic bloc? Such speculations have persisted since the rise to power of the Islamic conservative AKP in 2002. Several contributions in this anthology address these questions regarding Turkish foreign policy. The main part of the study comprehensively analyzes Turkish foreign policy from an Arab perspective through country analyses for the first time. Contributions on Egypt, the Gulf States, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Maghreb countries illustrate the interests driving cooperation, the factors that favor it, and where it encounters limitations. The study's evaluative chapter considers the political upheavals in Arab states since January 2011 and their impact on relations with Turkey. The findings demonstrate that pragmatic interest politics guide cooperation with Turkey, and Islam does not play a special role. Relations with Turkey serve to diversify foreign relations. Turkish ambitions to be recognized as a leading power in the Middle East/North Africa will not succeed, as all Arab states are attempting to reduce dependencies.