Turkey and Syria

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In The Media

Carnegie Europe

Turkey and Syria

The overriding concern for Turkish policy makers is to prevent Syria’s implosion and descent into civil war.

By Sinan Ülgen

Published on Feb 7, 2012

Source: BBC World News

In a recent interview on the BBC’s World News Today, Carnegie’s Sinan Ülgen commented on Turkey’s role in the evolving situation in Syria. Highlighting the dismay in Ankara at the vetoing of a United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria, Ülgen stressed that the overriding concern for Turkish policy makers is to prevent the country’s implosion and descent into civil war. As such, he continued, Ankara has opted for a radical departure from its established foreign policy by promoting the idea of regime change in Damascus and lending overt support to the Assad regime’s main opponents, the Syrian National Council and Free Syrian Army. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s February visit to Washington, Ülgen concluded, could provide an opportunity for Turkey and the United States to re-assess and strengthen support to the opposition.

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

Research
Reforming European Security: A Turkish Perspective
- +5
  Alper Coşkun, Fatih Ceylan, Tacan İldem, …
Paper
From Trade Dependence to Geopolitical Leverage: The EU in an Era of Weaponized Interdependence
- 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.

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