All Policy Analysis by Soner Cagaptay

Turkey will rise as a regional power only if it sets a genuine example as a liberal democracy and builds strong ties with all its neighbors.

What kind of role can and should Turkey play in "Arab Spring" countries exiting authoritarian rule?

While the world around it goes through economic and political convulsions, Turkey continues to expand its economic reach well beyond Europe and the Middle East.

The "Carnation Revolution" suggests democracy can take root in the most unexpected places if the necessary outside support is provided.

Among all the countries experiencing Arab Spring protests, Syria is uniquely positioned to fall under Turkish influence once its dictator is toppled.

Turkey is rising to the challenge to lead the Middle East by example.

When the EU and Ankara decide to renew their decades-long accession dalliance, Turkey will enter the process from a point of strength for the first time.

After a decade of discord with the United States, Turkey has come in from the cold, due largely to shared concerns over Iran.

This summer, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party continued its decade of electoral dominance, winning a third consecutive parliamentary victory. Yet the voting results tell a more nuanced story, with the main opposition Republican People's Party making gains in key areas and the AKP's heartland strongholds continuing to lose sway

Turkey, Iran, and the Assad regime are locked in a power game over Syria's future: either Ankara will win and Assad will fall, or Tehran will win and Ankara, hurt by PKK attacks, will throw in the towel and let Syria be.

Although Turkey and Israel are not yet ready to become friends, they do not need each other as enemies: talking to one another would serve them both well.

Washington must prevent renewed PKK attacks from becoming either a wedge between Turkey and Iraq or a bridge between Ankara and Tehran.

Turkey's latest earthquake could be the beginning of the end for the PKK's appeal among Kurds in the southeast, to the benefit of other players.