Foreign policy of Iran and Turkey towards Arab States after the Arab Spring
The events of the Arab Spring resulted in transformation of the political regimes and reconfiguration of the Middle East region. The “Arab Awakening” and its consequences had impact on foreign policy of Iran and Turkey. Both of these countries perceived the beginning of the Arab Spring as an opportunity to expand their regional influence. But the unpredictability of the protests had not met the expectations of Tehran and Ankara. The protracted internal conflicts in several Arab Spring countries and the intervention of external forces in these conflicts led both to a change in the Iranian and Turkish approaches and the emergence of new trends in Iranian and Turkish policy in the Arab world. In times of the deepening Syrian and Yemeni crises, the security issue is becoming increasingly important for Iran and establishing its policies in the Middle East. In this context, the creation of a border “buffer zone” by uniting pro-Iranian regional forces is acquiring special significance. The importance of countering national security challenges has also increased for Turkey's policy in the Arab world. Ankara is more willing to use the force factor during its military operations in Syria, providing military assistance to the Libyan Government in Tripoli and developing military cooperation with Qatar. The Arab Spring and the issues of its influence on the foreign policy of Iran and Turkey attract the attention of both Iranian and Turkish expert communities. Iranian and Turkish experts’ evaluations are important for better understanding of Iranian and Turkish regional approaches and foreign policy thinking.