However, the publication reflects the views of the young academic and not the institutional views of GRF or the individual positions of the commission members. [...] In Syria, Ankara led a changing policy,24 supported various groups in the country, claimed an active role in the settlement of the conflict through the Astana process with Russia and Iran, and displayed strong interventionism, described by some as over-activism.25 In Libya, Turkey supported actively the Government of National Accord and provided it with weapons and the support of Syrian fighters. [...] While the Turkish Armed Forces remained one of the strongest armies in the region, the efforts of the Turkish government to develop a national military industry started bearing fruit, especially in the production of drones, making Turkey a leader in this field.39 The conjunction of a more ambitious political line and of wider capabilities enabled Ankara to actively deploy its hard power tools. [...] The normalization agreement foresaw the end of the Turkish judicial processes for the Israeli officials involved in the Mavi Marmara incident and an exchange of ambassadors between the two countries. [...] With the coup by Sisi in 2013 and its regional implications, the intensification of the Syrian civil war,71 and a general heating of regional tensions, the dividing lines between the various players in the Middle East were gradually making their impact felt.
- Pages
- 44
- Published in
- Turkey
