The Turkish government can barely cope with the contemporary geopolitical challenges, according to a special report by the Economist.
Ankara has failed to build relations with its closest allies, such as the EU, a major trade partner. European states scared of the migrant crisis, pushed Ankara to strengthen the control on the Syrian border in exchange for the revival of talks on Turkey’s membership in the EU.
The government is more concerned about how they can push Europe to acquiesce more.
“But there is little warmth in the relationship. Most European governments still see Turkey as a buffer more than a partner,” the report reads.
Moreover, Turkey consumes gas transported by Russia and Turkish construction companies with Russian contracts with and accumulated value of $10 billion.
“Turkey seems in danger of stumbling into an unplanned but potentially costly fight,” as pointed out in the report.
“In a country that has long seen itself as insulated from Middle Eastern turmoil, the intrusion of violent radical Islam came as a particular shock,” the Economist stressed, saying that the Turkish authorities appeared to be unprepared for the consequences of their own policies in the Middle East.