This article is part of a collection of short essays written by the Fellows of the Middle East Institute to explore aspects of the ongoing war with Iran. The intent of the collection is to help readers see new and unexpected elements of the dynamics and impact of the ongoing hostilities and to think harder, deeper, and broader about the implications of the conflict.
Turkey: Ankara’s Nuclear Ambitions in the Post-Iran War Environment
In February 2026, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested that shifting international dynamics could push Turkey to acquire nuclear weapons. That rhetoric, combined with Turkey’s civilian nuclear energy and research programs and its indigenous surface-to-surface missile development projects, has fueled concerns that these capabilities could eventually form the backbone of a Turkish nuclear weapons program.
When the US and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, 2026, it set in motion a chain of events that saw violence spread across the Middle East. Yet as the region found itself engulfed in conflict, Syria has experienced its most peaceful months in 15 years, and the government in Damascus appears determined to stay its course toward recovery.
Turkey and the Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Crisis
Turkey and the Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Crisis Denise Natali, Omer Taspinar, Mona Yacoubian, Gonul Tol 27 September, 2012 Podcast 31This is the second of four events in a joint lecture series by Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies and the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University.
Turkey and the Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Crisis
Turkey and the Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Crisis Denise Natali, Omer Taspinar, Mona Yacoubian, Gonul Tol 27 September, 2012 Podcast 31This is the second of four events in a joint lecture series by Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies and the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University.
Turkey and the Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Crisis
Turkey and the Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Crisis Denise Natali, Omer Taspinar, Mona Yacoubian, Gonul Tol 27 September, 2012 Podcast 31This is the second of four events in a joint lecture series by Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies and the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University.
