The Middle East’s regional order is being reshaped by growing doubts about the durability of US security commitments and the dynamics unleashed by the Iran War and the Saudi-Houthi conflict. Where does Turkey fit in this emerging landscape? To discuss Ankara’s response to the region’s shifting security dynamics and what they mean for Turkey’s ambitions to deepen regional connectivity, MEI welcomed Meliha Benli Altunışık and Derya Göçer, Professors at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara. The discussion was moderated by MEI Senior Fellow Gönül Tol.
Speaker Biographies
Meliha Benli Altunışık is a Professor in the Department of International Relations at Middle East Technical University. Her research focuses on the international relations of the Middle East, Turkey’s Middle East policy, and rentier states.
Derya Göçer is an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Social Sciences at Middle East Technical University, where she also serves as the Chair of Middle East Studies and Area Studies. Her research interests lie at the intersection of international relations theory, area studies, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and Turkey’s foreign relations with the Middle East and China.
Gönül Tol (Moderator) is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, where she focuses on Turkish politics, US-Turkey relations, and regional dynamics in the Middle East. She is the author of Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria (Oxford University Press, 2023).
