Free Republic

Throughout the 1990s, Turkish foreign policy analysts had an easy job. After all, Turkish foreign policy was predictable. Ankara cooperated enthusiastically with Washington, whether in the Middle East or in the Balkans. Turkey aligned itself with Israel and kept at arms length from Middle Eastern neighbors such as Syria and Iran. In Europe, Ankara traded heavily with the European Union (EU) but did not allow the EU to dictate foreign policy. The European Union's frequent allegations and criticism of human rights abuses in Turkey, especially with regard to Turkey's fight against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK, Partiya Karkaren Kurdistan) terrorists, soured...

The Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI), which covers the geographic region from Morocco to Pakistan, including the entire Middle East and Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia, aims to democratize and develop the region based on market economy. The GMEI, which appeared after the American military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, was perceived as an attempt to transform the region by using force. However, the United States officials say they want to reach their objectives through peaceful methods. Turkey stands to benefit greatly from the democratization and development of the Islamic world in general and its neighbors. While in the...