Turkey in a Middle East at war

With war in Iran and geopolitical alignments shifting across the region, the Middle East is entering a new period of instability. Turkey is expanding its influence but also confronting growing competition with Israel in post‑Assad Syria and the eastern Mediterranean. Iran’s uncertain future could reshape regional balances in ways that reverberate far beyond its borders. As the Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan enters its second phase and U.S. officials outline the role of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in reconstruction, the humanitarian crisis continues. Against this backdrop, Turkey is trying to navigate a more turbulent regional order while managing its ties with the United States, Europe, and key regional powers. 

On March 16, the Brookings Center on the United States and Europe held a discussion and panel on security and U.S. foreign policy in Turkey and the Middle East. The discussion featured a panel with Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Ambassador John R. Bass, Philip H. Gordon, and Suzanne Maloney, moderated by Hümeyra Pamuk.