CONTINUITY OF CHANGE IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY UNDER THE JDP GOVERNMENT: THE CASES OF BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL AND SYRIA.

FOREIGN relations of Turkey, 1980-; INTERNATIONAL relations; SYRIAN foreign relations, 1971-; NATIONAL security; AK Parti (Political party : Turkey); PARTIYA Karkeren Kurdistane; TERRORISM; ARAB-Israeli conflict

TURKEY; ISRAEL; SYRIA

The article examines the development of Turkish foreign policy towards Israel and Syria under the rule of Turkey's JDP party (Justice and Development Party, or AK Parti). The author begins by examining the impact of the end of the Cold War on Turkey's foreign policy, with particular focus given to national security measures taken to combat the separatist Partiya Karkeren Kurdistane (PKK). The beginnings of Turkish-Israel rapprochement are outlined, and Turkish efforts to forge amicable relations with Syrian as a means to undermine terrorist activities are also detailed. The importance of these relations to the broader realm of Mideast regional politics is assessed The deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations due to the violence of Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also examined.