The 'Davutoglu Doctrine' under pressure: challenges for Turkish foreign policy in a changing Middle East

Abstract

The present paper examines the challenges that Turkish foreign policy has faced in the Middle East following the outbreak of the uprisings that have been collectively called “the Arab Spring.” It is argued that Turkish foreign policy has failed to play in the Middle East the pivotal role the “Davutoğlu Doctrine” had envisioned. Mounting problems in the Kurdish question and accusations of sectarianism in foreign policy have contributed to a decline of Turkey’s soft power in the Middle East, which was painstakingly accumulated after years of political reform and stellar economic performance. Instead of becoming a crisis mediator, Turkey may end up entangled in the Middle East imbroglio.