Observers who interpret Turkish foreign policy through the lens of an ideological debate between the country’s Eastern and Western identities have often overlooked the pragmatic motives that shaped policy decisions. In formulating their approaches toward Europe and the Middle East, Turkish leaders have seldom been influenced by the ideologies that determine their domestic politics. Understood in context, Atatürk’s disengagement from the Middle East and the AKP’s re-engagement with the region were both practical responses to strategic realities. Please click here to read the text in full