All Policy Analysis by Alan Makovsky

Necmettin Erbakan, who holds power with a bare five-vote majority, nevertheless has a surprisingly strong grip on the prime ministry. Although constrained from implementing the more radical aspects of his foreign policy agenda, Erbakan has marked Turkish policy with a firm stamp of orientation toward Islamic states, particularly radicals like

With the dust clearing on the public relations "spin" suggested by competing Arab, Israeli and American observers of the Middle East/North Africa Economic Conference held in Cairo two weeks ago, a detached assessment of that now-annual event would underscore the surprising durability of new regional institutions at times of political

Seeking to achieve stability in northern Iraq as part of a longer-term effort to bring down Saddam Hussein, Assistant Secretary of State Robert Pelletreau this week completed a round of meetings in Turkey with feuding Iraqi Kurdish leaders. However, prospects for success of this effort are minimal, the durability of

Although the Clinton Administration's response to Saddam Hussein's attack on Erbil is based on a moral commitment to protect the Kurds of northern Iraq, Washington has focused its response on southern Iraq. U.S. strikes have hit targets in southern Iraq, rather than in the north; President Clinton has not demanded

With pro-Islamist Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan at the helm of the Turkish government since late June, Washington faces a rare policy dilemma: how to deal with an ally whose leader harbors long-term goals inimical to U.S. interests. The U.S. won its first major policy challenge of the Erbakan era when

Erbakan's pro-Islamist Refah Party finished first, with only 21.4 percent of the vote, in December 1995 parliamentary elections. Initially shut out of government, Erbakan managed to bring down the minority secularist government and, on June 28, formed a coalition with former Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, who has long touted herself

Secular Turkey has an Islamist prime minister, at least for now. Turkey's unprecedented coalition government, headed by 69-year-old pro-Islamist Necmettin Erbakan in coalition with heretofore staunch secularist Tansu Ciller, appears to be a compromise that keeps security issues mainly in the hands of the secularists; offers the Islamists dominant responsibility

In its first summit in nearly six years -- and first since the Madrid process began -- the Arab League responded to the election of Binyamin Netanyahu by laying down firm peace process markers for Israel and, implicitly, the Clinton Administration. While calling for a resumption of negotiations on all

In the first Middle East summit since August 1990, Arab leaders are meeting in Cairo to try to forge a unified Arab stance towards the peace process. However, just as the last Arab gathering six years ago ended in acrimony after Iraq's aggression against Kuwait, the current meeting also seems

As Turkey lurches from political crisis to crisis, with only caretaker or minority governments for the past nine months, government instability has begun to affect key parts of foreign policy. Yesterday, for example, the Turkish parliament voted to renew Operation Provide Comfort -- the Turkey-based, U.S.-led multinational military operation to

As foreign ministers of seven countries descended upon Damascus and Operation Grapes of Wrath shifted into low gear, katyushas continued to fall on northern Israel over the weekend, bringing the count to nearly 500 over the past twelve days. Apparently, none of the seven -- American, French, Russian, Italian, Spanish

As the United States and its Western allies prepare to invest treasure and troops in Bosnia in order to support stability in the Balkans, European Parliamentarians in Strasbourg have the opportunity to support regional stability merely by raising their hands to vote in favor of a customs union agreement with

As Israelis mourn the death of Yitzhak Rabin and contemplate the renewal of a peace process that has divided their nation, Arab states and leaders will play a critical role in shaping Israel's decision. Nothing so persuades Israelis of the merits of risk-taking for peace than visible signs of Arab

Prime Minister Tansu Ciller faces a parliamentary vote-of-confidence this Sunday likely -- but not certain -- to win approval for her renewed coalition government. This would be a notable turn-around for Ciller, who has been struggling to assemble a new government since her first government collapsed six weeks ago. In

In his televised address Wednesday, King Hussein defined a new policy toward Iraq that underscores his connection to the Iraqi people and armed forces, puts him at the forefront of the anti-Saddam coalition, and lays down a clear marker to Saddam that one false move would trigger the shutting down

Turkish Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu arrives tonight as part of a tour of major Allied capitals to explain Turkey's military operation in northern Iraq. In Washington--far more sympathetic to the Turkish action than European capitals, yet nevertheless insistent that it be "limited in duration and scope"--Inonu probably hopes to focus

Prime Minister Tansu Ciller begins the first ever Turkish head of government visit to Israel today, underscoring her personal commitment to developing Turkish-Israeli ties that were virtually dormant as recently as two years ago. In so doing, she is taking Turkey for the first time into an energetic role in