Summary: Prior to the Arab Spring, Turkey was admired as the rising star of the region owing to its proactive foreign policy agenda. But the oscilla- tions observed in Turkey’s policy during the irst few months of the Arab Spring led some analysts to suggest that the country’s regional role was in complete disarray, not least because Ankara failed to anticipate this contingency. Such analyses proved hasty at best, misjudged at worst. Turkey demonstrated lexibility in adapting to the rapidly evolving circumstances and has managed to gain a say in the political processes likely to affect the future of the regional transformation. As the pendulum swings back, Turkey is again being praised as an important regional player. Overall, Turkey has increasingly moved in the direction of putting pragmatism above idealism in the conduct of its regional policies. Yet, a corre- sponding change has not taken place in the rhetorical parlance of Turkish leaders who continue to advocate an idealist vision of regional order. Analysis Turkey’s Middle East Policy Reloaded: Rise of Pragmatism? by Saban Kardas October 10, 2011 WASHINGTON, DC • BERLIN •฀PARIS •฀BRUSSELS BELGRADE • ANKARA •฀BUCHAREST฀•฀WARSAW ฀ ฀ ฀ OFFICES Analysis he popular uprisings sweeping through the Middle East have put the dynamics of the regional order in lux, forcing the local powers to redeine their foreign policy priorities. As the revolutionary fervor subsides, of particular interest have been the implications of recent developments for Turkey’s Middle East policies. Prior to the Arab Spring, Turkey was admired as the rising star of the region owing to its proactive foreign policy agenda. But the oscillations observed in Turkey’s policy during the irst few months led some analysts to suggest that the country’s regional role was in complete disarray, not least because Ankara failed to anticipate this contin- gency. Such analyses proved hasty at best, misjudged at worst. Turkey demonstrated lexibility in adapting to the rapidly evolving circumstances and has managed to gain a say in the political processes likely to afect the future of the regional transformation. As the pendulum swings back, Turkey is again being praised as an important regional player. How has Turkish foreign policy fared lately as it navigated the waves of revolution? While it might be wrong to announce the death of Turkey’s Middle East policy, it would be equally problematic to argue that Turkey has emerged untainted from this experi- ence. he Arab Spring has presented substantial conceptual challenges to Turkish foreign policy vision, which raised serious questions as to the relevance of the idealist thinking that undergirded Turkey’s regional poli- cies. Overall, during the course of the Arab Spring, Turkey has conducted its policy by the dictates of Realpo- litik, and pragmatically realigned its external relations. Yet, a corresponding change has not taken place in the rhetorical parlance of Turkish leaders who continue to advocate an idealist vision of regional order. Turkey as a Middle Eastern Regional Power Turkey’s assertive involvement in Middle Eastern afairs has been an outgrowth of its foreign policy activism on a range of regional and global issues. As much as the struc- tural conditions creating a permissive environment, Ankara’s recent orienta- tion is underpinned by a strong sense of agency, and as such it relects an efort of its leaders to play leadership roles in their regional neighborhoods and beyond. Indeed, Turkey’s regional and global ascendance has coincided remarkably with the rise to power of a new elite, represented by the AK Party.