Turkiye steps up dual-track strategy with its neighbors
Arab News · Dr. Sinem Cengiz ·
Turkiye steps up dual-track strategy with its neighbors
Since 2011, Turkiye’s relations with neighboring Syria and Iraq have been strained. However, 2024 was a milestone in its ties with both countries. Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria collapsed toward the end of that year, ushering in a new era in Turkish-Syrian relations. Earlier in the year, a new chapter also opened in relations between Turkiye and Iraq. In 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a historic visit to Iraq, his first since 2011, accompanied by a large entourage. Erdogan is now planning to visit Syria in what will be the first visit by a Turkish president since 2011.
Since improving its relations with Baghdad and Damascus, Turkiye appears to have been following a dual-track strategy with both: strengthening state-to-state cooperation through security and economic engagement, while pushing Damascus and Baghdad closer to each other in a way that serves its core security and economic interests. These two tracks are closely interconnected.
This week, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi visited Damascus, marking the first visit by an Iraqi leader to Syria since the fall of Assad’s regime. He met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, and agreed to push ahead with energy, trade, and security cooperation in order to transform a decades-long adversarial relationship into a strategic partnership.
Read the full story at Arab News · All coverage of this story