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Turkey’s misguided Middle East policy: From Syria, Iraq to the Gulf

Turkey’s misguided foreign policy has increasingly become apparent in three main spheres: Syria, Iraq and the Gulf region.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a ceremony as he is flanked by top officials and army officers at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, marking the anniversary of Ataturk's death, in Ankara, Turkey, Nov. 10, 2017. — REUTERS/Umit Bektas

During an hourlong, live TV interview on Nov. 7 at Medyascope.tv — an independent, web-based, Turkish news platform — on the latest developments in the Middle East, I was asked what their impact could be on Turkish foreign policy in the region. The question referred to the recent dramatic steps taken by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the unexpected resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

In my response, I characterized Turkey’s recent political moves in the region as a “headless chicken” running around to describe the way Turkey conducts its foreign policy in the Middle East.

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