Turkey's Next Move

{
  "authors": [
    "Sinan Ülgen"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie Europe"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Turkey’s Transformation"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "Europe",
    "Türkiye"
  ],
  "topics": []
}

In The Media

Carnegie Europe

Turkey's Next Move

While Turkey’s foreign policies have created tension with its neighbors, in the long run those policies are likely to enhance the country’s image across the Arab World.

By Sinan Ülgen

Published on Apr 11, 2012

Source: France 24

Speaking on France 24’s The Debate, Carnegie’s Sinan Ülgen discussed Turkey’s evolving role in Syria. He rejected the notion that Turkey’s latest moves in the region would ruin its relations with its neighbors, especially Iran and Syria. Turkey’s position has created tensions with its neighborhood, Ülgen admitted, but he argued that it will ultimately enhance the country’s image across the Arab World. He explained that Turkey’s democratic and economic vibrancy make it popular as a political model, naturally inclining Ankara to support pro-democracy movements in the Middle East.

Ülgen explained that the Turkish government’s decision on the creation of potential buffer zones in Syria is unlikely to be affected by the lack of public support domestically. He concluded by explaining that, despite recent bouts of illness, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would continue to serve in office, most likely running for presidency in 2014.

About the Author

Sinan Ülgen

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Sinan Ülgen is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, where his research focuses on Turkish foreign policy, transatlantic relations, international trade, economic security, and digital policy.

Recent Work

Q&A
Can the EU Achieve Its Tech Ambitions?
- Raluca Csernatoni, Sinan Ülgen
Q&A
Can the EU Overcome Divisions on Defense?
- Catherine Hoeffler, Sinan Ülgen

Middle East Europe Türkiye

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Article
Iran Wields Wartime Internet Access as a Political Tool
In an effort to disseminate its preferred message, the Iranian regime is offering a simple transaction: connectivity for amplification.
Mahsa Alimardani
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Europe and the Arab Gulf Must Come Together
The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.
Rym Momtaz
Article
The Board of Peace and Funding for Gaza Reconstruction: On Whose Account?
Stakeholders must demand major restructuring of the Board of Peace and robust oversight and transparency before engaging with it. Until then, rights-respecting existing platforms and mechanisms for multilateral peacemaking should be supported.
Zaha Hassan, Charles H. Johnson
Commentary
Strategic Europe
Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
Commentary
The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for Europe
The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation.
Marc Pierini

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Mourners hold up their phones showing images of Ali Khamenei during a memorial vigil after Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 1, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Article

Iran Wields Wartime Internet Access as a Political Tool

In an effort to disseminate its preferred message, the Iranian regime is offering a simple transaction: connectivity for amplification.

Mahsa Alimardani

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Europe and the Arab Gulf Must Come Together

The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.

Rym Momtaz

US President Donald Trump presides over the inaugural meeting of the âBoard of Peace,â a newly established body focused on efforts for Gaza, at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, United States, on February 19, 2026.

Article

The Board of Peace and Funding for Gaza Reconstruction: On Whose Account?

Stakeholders must demand major restructuring of the Board of Peace and robust oversight and transparency before engaging with it. Until then, rights-respecting existing platforms and mechanisms for multilateral peacemaking should be supported.

Zaha Hassan, Charles H. Johnson

Commentary

Strategic Europe

Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?

French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?

Rym Momtaz, ed.

Commentary

The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for Europe

The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation.

Marc Pierini