The End of Zero Problems? Turkey and Shifting Regional Dynamics
Part of the 2012 Global Forecast
April 12, 2012
Turkey’s ambitious foreign policy aimed at zero problems with its neighbors is under threat. The escalating crisis in Syria and related regional turbulence are complicating Turkey’s important relationships with both Iran and Russia. This turmoil could strain the U.S.-Turkey alliance while presenting the next American administration with a new set of complex dynamics in the Middle East and Eurasia.
By choosing to visit Turkey three months into his presidency, Barack Obama underscored Turkey’s importance to the United States. He reaffirmed the value of the strategic partnership formed during the Cold War and proposed to expand it through cooperation in forging a new relationship with the Middle East and wider Islamic world.
