Őmer Taşpinar - The Turkish Predicament: From Strategic Ally to Strategic Challenge

Not too long ago, Turkey was hailed as a strategic ally and a model country for the Middle East, exemplifying the compatibility of Islam, democracy, secularism and western orientation. Today, this model is no more. Turkey's strategic alliance with the United States and its democratic journey has been derailed by a series of challenges ranging from the autocratic tendencies of President Erdogan, to the Kurdish problem at home and regional instability in Syria and Iraq. Taspinar is a professor at the National War College and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.