Turkey: From Zero Problems to a Host of Problems (Regional Aspirations‪)‬

The Arab street has been enamored with Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan ever since his dramatic confrontation with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, over Israel's Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. This is not to discount preexisting Islamist fascination with his Justice and Development's thus far successful tenure in power since 2002, or Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's theoretical groundwork for Turkey's post (and failed) European Union bid, in his book "Strategic Depth," which articulated Turkey's catchy foreign policy of "zero problems with neighbors." The Arab street is mostly in Erdogan's hands after confronting Peres and after the May 2010 Mavi Marmara incident. For example, after Marmara, Gazans were said to be naming their children after him. An editorial from the pan-Arab daily ASHARQ AL AWSAT called "the Turkish Player" extolled Turkey as both a regional player and Erdogan as a player in the sense of a musician, who "recognized that the Palestinian cause is a central preoccupation within the hearts of all Arabs" and who "played brilliantly on this note" (see MER 15/9/2011). However, Turkey's much publicized accession in the region, from the popularity of its television dramas in the Arab world to its desirable exports, has not been without problems. Popularity on the street does not always translate into tangible policy outcomes, especially in countries where public opinion has little leverage over decision makers; it remains to be seen how high the tide of democracy rises in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, or if it will ever reach Syrian shores. What's more, Turkey's popularity with the Arab street puts it in direct competition with Arab politicians and activists who either resent Turkey's own agenda or its encroachment on issues nominally under their purview.