Inside Story

Is Turkey undergoing a shift in foreign policy?

Ankara has held high-level meetings with leaders from Russia and Iran within the space of a week.

The Turkish government has hosted Iran’s top diplomat, in a move seen as a shift in foreign policy after last month’s failed coup attempt.

Turkey has been unhappy with the West’s muted response to the coup bid and frustrated with continued criticism of its human rights record.

The Iranian foreign minister’s visit came just days after a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to normalise ties after the shooting down of a Russian fighter plane on the Turkish-Syria border last year.

Many are asking whether these moves mark a shift in Turkey’s global alliances, and what impact will they have on the war in neighbouring Syria.

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Yusuf Kanli – journalist and former editor of Hurriyet Daily News in Ankara

Bassma Kodmani – former spokesperson for the SNC Syrian opposition group in Paris, France

Henri Barkey – Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC.