Episode 107: Turkey’s Balancing Act: Prospects for Stabilisation in Syria and Iraq
Can Turkey act as a stabilising force in Syria and Iraq, or are its policies driven by short-term security concerns?
As Ankara seeks to navigate the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, its approach to Syria and Iraq has become a key test of its regional influence. In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin is joined by Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI, Dr Serhat Erkmen, RUSI associate fellow and founder of the geopolitical risk consultancy, Pros and Cons, and Dr Oytun Orhan, Coordinator of Levant Studies at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), to examine Turkey’s policies. The discussion explores the impact of domestic pressures, regional rivalries, security threats, and great power relations, asking whether Ankara can translate tactical gains into a sustainable regional role.
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This podcast episode is part of a policy series for the 'Turkey's Peacebuilding in a Disordered Middle East' project of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) network.
The Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin is funded by Stiftung Mercator and the Federal Foreign Office. CATS is the curator of the CATS Network, an international network of think-tanks and research institutions working on Turkey.
FEATURING
Dr Neil Melvin
Director, International Security
International Security
Dr Burcu Ozcelik
Senior Research Fellow, Middle East Security
International Security
Dr Serhat Erkmen
RUSI Associate Fellow, International Security
