Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.
Although Türkiye has not been subject to the same level of Iranian strikes as other countries in the region, Ankara feels threatened on several fronts. But it also has an opportunity to shape the regional order that emerges after the war ends.
While Ankara has no desire to defend Iran, Turkish policymakers fear that the collapse or fragmentation of the Iranian state could produce security, migration, and economic crises that would hit Türkiye hardest.
A crisis is brewing in the Mediterranean, as Türkiye and Greece exploit Libya’s political instability to advance rival claims over offshore gas and maritime zones.
For years, Ankara and Athens have clashed over maritime borders and resource claims in the eastern Mediterranean. Now, Ankara’s rapprochement with Benghazi could be bearing fruit. But the rulers of eastern Libya are not without their own calculations.