The Changes in the Arab Policy of Turkey from 2002 till 2010

After long decades of estrangement since the establishment of the republic, the Arab policy of the AK party manifested visible changes that broke up with the state establishment mindset by underlining a sort of rapprochement on the regional level. This study aims to identify and understand the political and economic aspects of the Turkish policy towards Arab countries by according specific attention to Syria that constitutes for the current Turkish leadership a prototype for the Turkish policy towards its neighbors notably Arab countries. By taking into account the context within which changes in the policy formulation occurred, the Arab policy of Turkey since 2002 seemed to be controversial since it not only concretizes Turkey’s national interests but also contributes to the empowerment of its role as a regional actor that seeks a permanent presence and influence on the international level.