Diegetics

BURIED IN ABOVE BUT NOT QUITE

"Despite the fact that Turkey - whose annual trade with Syria amounts to US$2.5 billion - is Syria's largest trading partner"

Ankara's leverage in Damascus appears to be less than that of Iran which is staunchly backing Assad's crackdown on political dissent.'


THE NEW PERSIAN TAKE ON CYRUS THE GREAT'S HUMANISM?

Sounds like rather paranoid claptrap to me. Turkish foreign policy has been in recent years one of practical engagement with all neighbours; no problems required, Turkish commercial interests to the fore; business with everyone regardless of how odious they may be.

Being largely free of local belligerent foreign entanglements has left Turkey free to concentrate on dealing with it's internal "foreign policy" problems with conciliating the Kurds, concentrating on economic development and leashing and taming the military so that it will answer to and serve the elected civilian government rather than the other way around.

Recent problems with Israel and Syria have changed this, and have made it politically impossible not to adopt a confrontational posture, what with Israel knocking Turkish citizens about at sea and the consequences of Syria's dismal oppression spilling over onto Turkish soil.

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Marhaba Ibrahim, Marhaba








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