(Hurriyet Daily News-Turkey) Soner Cagaptay - One of the unexpected consequences of the unrest in the Middle East is the elevation of Turkey's role in the region. While the Muslim Brotherhood is emerging as a key player in Egyptian politics, Turkey's ruling AKP party, as an advocate for this movement, has found an ally and voice in Cairo. The same also applies to Tunis, where the local Muslim Brotherhood has emerged from the shadows since the fall of Tunisia's dictator. Moreover, if unrest in other Arab countries were to topple more dictatorships, the AKP would gain additional allies in more Arab capitals. The proximity between the AKP and the Muslim Brotherhood goes beyond contemporary political support. In past years, leading AKP politicians, including Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, broke their political teeth in the Muslim Brotherhood's Turkish versions. The writer is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2011-02-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive