Turkey

USIP's Steven Heydemann looks at Syria and the impact the Arab League can have on the Assad regime.

In a period of tremendous change in parts of the world, we are asking USIP leaders, from board members to senior staff and experts, to explain the effects that events abroad and here at home will have on the United States, and the contributions the Institute can and does make. Steven Heydemann is USIP’s senior adviser for Middle East Initiatives.

This brief is part of a series examining the regional dimensions of Syria’s popular uprising. The Institute invited leading experts from the U.S. and the Middle East to identify key vectors of influence Syria’s neighbors are bringing to bear on the conflict, to forecast how the situation there will affect the regional balance of power and to examine how the opposition and the Syria regime are responding to these regional dynamics. This study on Turkey was written by Yigal Schleifer, a Washington-based journalist and analyst covering Turkey.

The Institute invited leading experts from the U.S. and across the Middle East to identify key vectors of influence Syria’s neighbors are bringing to bear on the conflict; to forecast how the on-going conflict in Syria will affect the delicate and volatile regional balance of power; and to examine how the Syrian opposition and the Syria regime are factoring in regional and cross-border dynamics.

This report reviews the growing competition between Turkey and Iran for influence in Iraq as the U.S. troop withdrawal proceeds. In doing so, it finds an alignment of interests between Baghdad, Ankara, and Washington, D.C., in a strong and stable Iraq fueled by increased hydrocarbon production. Where possible, the United States should therefore encourage Turkish and Iraqi cooperation and economic integration as a key part of its post-2011 strategy for Iraq and the region. This analysis is based on the author’s experiences in Iraq and reviews of Turkish and Iranian press and foreign policy writing.

USIP expert Dan Brumberg previews the upcoming talks with Iran and provides background on the current situation.

The bimonthly Prevention Newsletter provides highlights of the Institute's conceptual and region specific work aimed at helping to prevent conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, South and Northeast Asia, and the special project on genocide prevention. It also provides Over the Horizon thinking on trends in different regions, as well as information about events, working groups and publications.

December 27, 2009 marked two years since Israel's offensive in Gaza.  Direct peace negotiations have stalled but Washington continues its attempts to broker a deal between the two sides.  USIP expert Scott Lasensky recaps 2010 and shares expectations for Arab/Israeli negotiations in 2011.