An inflated sense of its influence and overambitious plans that didn’t match the reality on the ground has left Turkey increasingly isolated in the Arab world. As Ankara closes one consulate after another in the Middle East and North Africa for security reasons, Turkish citizens in the region have also become persona non grata on account of the government’s policies.
The latest development in this respect is in Libya, where Ankara’s support for Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq, who is backed by the Muslim Brotherhood but whose election by parliament a month ago was annulled recently by Libya’s Supreme Court, is also beginning to backfire.