Levantine Challenges on Turkish Foreign Policy

Turkey’s perception of the Levant has been hazy in modern times and the country has not constructed a holistic approach towards the region until recently, despite the fact that Turkey has sought closer cooperation with the Levantine countries since the late 1990s. In addition to Turkey’s willingness to open up to the region, recent international developments, such as the discovery of hydrocarbons off the coast of Israel, Egypt and Cyprus, the outbreak of the Arab Spring, and changes in the regional balance of power have provided momentum for Turkey’s engagement with the region. This paper argues that although these factors have provided space for Turkey to play a more assertive role in the region, the country has thus far failed to present a successful region-wide strategy or carve up an influence zone