Turkey’s Geostrategic Roller Coaster

Good reporting and analysis from Anthony Shadid on Turkey’s exposure to the Arab Spring:

Before the so-called Arab Spring unleashed by revolution in Egypt and Tunisia, Turkey was a catalyst in an emerging realignment of the Middle East, charting a foreign policy often independent of the United States in a region bereft of any country that matched its political stature. Now the unrest on its borders is undermining years of diplomatic and economic investment, forcing Turkey to take a more assertive role as its vision of economic integration runs up against the threat of growing instability.

I find it fascinating to watch how non-Arab regional actors are dealing with the Arab Spring. From Israel’s worried hands-off approach, to Iran’s double standards and Turkey’s really complicated entanglements. In reality, this is all just one big mess and everything is up for grabs. Exciting times we live in..