When Joseph left out in the well: the road to Ankara's predicament in Cairo

Abstract

The study highlights the significant factors that shaped Turkey's policy towards Egypt during the Arab Uprisings. In the light of seismic changes in Tunisia and Libya, the pace of events in Cairo transformed expectations among the AKP leadership into conviction that the Arab street is strong enough to lead the change in the country. However, the AKP administration failed to forsee the reactions to the shift in power in Cairo. The military coup abruptly terminated Turkey's aspirations in Egypt. After the military coup, Ankara's foreign policy decisions towards Egypt were informed by the AKP's changing strategies as well as various challenges the party faced at home. Failures to address unexpected contingencies in the region compelled the JDP leadership to revise its priorities regarding its policy options in the Middle East for moderate ones.