The article published by ECFR examines the foreign policy of Türkiye in the Middle East. Brief summary of the article follows as:
Turkey has spent much of the past decade trying to expand its influence and remake the Middle East in its own image
This created a major battle line between the country and its rivals that stretched from Libya to Syria and the eastern Mediterranean
Yet, since mid-2021, Turkey has attempted to normalise its relationships with Middle Eastern countries
This shift has been driven by Turkish domestic politics, the emergence of a multipolar Middle East, and intensifying geopolitical competition
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains politically vulnerable at home, with a deteriorating economy and the opposition leading in the polls
His government’s survival now depends on efforts to balance between great powers and draw financing from former rivals in the Gulf
The EU needs to adjust to this new Turkey by supporting the regional normalisation process, managing the Kurdish issue, and accepting that the country could join an expanded European community – albeit while retaining its strategic autonomy