The relations between Turkey and its neighbours have entered an uncertain
future. When Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party, the AKP, came to power in
Turkey, they promoted a “zero problems with the neighbours” policy. However,
Turkey´s tensions with these countries appear to have effectively nullified that
doctrine.
Actually, Turkey finds itself in an international precarious situation.
Firstly, its interests are clearly ignored by Europeans, who have put the
country´s bid for membership in the European Union on indefinite hold. The
crisis with Cyprus, an EU member, is getting worse. Ankara has recently
threatened military action in response to this country´s oil exploration
activities in a disputed maritime area. In a recent meeting with US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton in New York, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was
told that the United States supported Cyprus´ right to explore in the area,
which is led by an American company. In January, France passed a law against the
so-called “armenian genocide” and Turkey´s protests were treated with
disdain.
Ankara always claimed that it had alternatives if the EU closed its doors for
Turkey. It was assuming a predominant role among the Muslim nations and using
its political and economic power to become a conflict mediator in the region.
However, this role could become impossible if Turkey continues to alienate its
neighbours. Currently, the deterioration of relations with Syria, Iraq, Russia
and Iran appears to be more or less serious and could have far-reaching
consequences...
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