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Turkey's Egypt Question

Turkey's role in the Middle East will turn on how it handles the crisis in Egypt.
Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (C) reacts as he poses with his Greek counterpart Antonis Samaras (L) and Greece's Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos (R) after signing agreements in Istanbul March 4, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3EK7W

Turkey’s doctrine of zero problems with neighbors translated into a successful overarching policy allowing the country to protect its influence in every corner of the larger Middle East.

The politico-ideological model, the strategic balancer, the key regional agenda influencer, the pragmatic power, were all roles fulfilled by the moderate Islamist, neo-Ottomanist Turkey: a role that gained more influence in the last two years, surfing on the strong waves of the "Arab Spring" and the Islamist summer it announced. But today, Turkey is besieged with problems at home and in the region.

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