Under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkey has reemerged as a major power in the Middle East, mediating between Israel and Syria and facilitating in the nuclear standoff between Iran and the US. For some, this signals that Turkey has turned away from the West and joined ranks with the Muslim-majority countries it borders; for others, that the US is no longer an unrivaled power in the region. However, neither of these analyses is completely accurate. Turkey’s current foreign policy of active engagement to resolve regional conflicts in order to enhance its regional power, also known as the Strategic Depth Doctrine, is the brainchild of the AKP, not the entire Turkish foreign policy establishment. While Turkey’s mediation has taken place without the US, Turkey’s goals in the region still generally match the US’s. Turkey’s efforts may well prove futile, yet they reflect a true shift in the balance of power in the region and a change from past Turkish foreign policy, one that will affect US strategy in the region for the foreseeable future.
Full Report: Anatolian Janus – The AKP’s Strategic Depth Doctrine and Turkey’s Reemergence in the Middle East