Over the past decade, Turkey’s foreign policy has evolved within a unique space between Europe and the Middle East, having dramatically expanded its reach throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. In light of current conflicts in the region and within its own borders, understanding Turkey’s changing role in the region is critical to U.S. foreign policy.
“The Perceptions of Turkey in the Middle East 2013” is a regional public opinion survey conducted in August and September 2013 in 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. Including Egypt, Iran, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia, the survey is the fifth-annual poll of regional public opinion conducted by the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, or TESEV. The study sheds light on general trends in the region, perception of the Arab Spring and the region’s future, as well as the role of Turkey. The survey features regional opinion on key developments in countries (including Syria, Egypt, and Iran); prospects for the future; the role of international actors in the events since 2011; perspectives on security; and perceptions of Turkey, its role in the region, and its domestic politics.
Please join the Center for American Progress and the TESEV Institute as we host a presentation and discussion of “The Perceptions of Turkey in the Middle East 2013,” a new study by TESEV’s Foreign Policy Program.
Welcoming remarks:
Ayse Ustunel Yircali, TESEV Executive Director
Panelists:
Mensur Akgun, Director, Global Political Trends Center; Professor, Istanbul Kultur University
Sabiha Senyucel Gundogar, Director, TESEV Foreign Policy Program
Spencer Boyer, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Moderator:
Michael Werz, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress