Turkey, as the only regional power with a strong state and democracy, is being lured into the Gulf crisis, but it is working to avoid the trap

Since the eruption of the crisis and its aftermath, it has become clear that this is not the best way to stop the destabilizing policies of other actors in the region.

The Gulf clearly wants to fuel polarization between Sunnis and Shiites in the region to contain Iran and, believing Turkey's partnership with Qatar to be an obstacle before their agenda, wants to sever Doha's ties with Ankara

The only reason behind the Gulf crisis may not be Trump's 'selling security to rich countries' policy. The financial deal between the parties might also have played a big role

The attempt to politically ostracise the tiny emirate is more likely to isolate Riyadh than to bring Qatar to its knees.

Trump does not seem to face much difficulty in finding allies in the Middle East who associate their national interests with perpetual tension and instability

Turkey wanted to strengthen bilateral relations and increase trade volumes with Gulf nations against the backdrop of global chaos

Turkey's decision to extend its existing offensive in Syria is quite audacious, but it has no choice other than to assume its active role in the Syrian civil war, which is the root cause of many problems in the Middle East

To make the region stronger and politically more powerful, Turkey and the Gulf states should shoulder the responsibility and start taking steps to develop a close mutual cooperation

The doctrines of President George W. Bush and Obama made long-term uncertainty innate to the region, which would change the security and alliance structures of the Middle East. But how?

Having lost control of Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon to Iran by turning on the Muslim Brotherhood during the Arab Spring revolutions, Saudi Arabia now seeks to regain its influence over the Middle East.

Ankara, one of the most geopolitically significant players in the Middle East, is determined to take a neutral path on the Saudi-Iranian conflict, yet still, in the near future, a strategic alliance between Ankara and Riyadh rather than Tehran, seems more likely.

With the increasing tension in relations with Iran due to the Syrian crisis, while relations with Saudi Arabia have been gaining speed in recent times, Turkey is required to take a more careful approach in politics.

SETA’s public seminar “Seeking Justice And Accountability: Rights Abuses And The Arab Uprisings” brought together Joe Stork and Jan Egeland of Human Rights Watch to discuss human rights in foreign policy making, and efforts to advocate for human rights and influence regimes like that in Syria which has turned a deaf ear to calls to end the brutal clampdown on demonstrators.

INSIGHT TURKEY DEBATES   Chair:     İhsan Dağı, Insight Turkey    Speakers:    Kemal Kirişci, Boğaziçi University     Alper Dede, Zirve University      Date: June 2, 2011 Thursday  Saat: 14.00-16.00  Venue: SETA, Ankara

Once Turkey considers and comes to terms with the challenge of formulating a new political language, it can rise to the level it aspires to as a new actor in a new region and in a new global order.

Iraq is like a miniature of the Middle East with its population structure and social characteristics. Each domestic actor in Iraq has relations with ethnic and religious groups in the neighboring countries.