Long gone are the happy days when Turkey’s foreign policy motto was “zero problems with neighbors.” Nowadays, Ankara is facing new diplomatic challenges on multiple fronts, at a time when domestic politics are more polarized than ever since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002. The list of headaches is long, and the direction taken by Turkey remains hard to assert. The more Ankara’s leadership finds itself isolated from its traditional allies, the more it seems tempted to find solace in Russia’s arms and take refuge in an improbable regional role. These moves may prove risky bets for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
OP-ED
Marc Pierini: Turkey’s evolving array of diplomatic challenges
Turkish President and Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during an AKP meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in Ankara, on May 30.
