Beşar Esad Dönemi Suriye Diş Politikasinda Pragmatizm ve Türkiye-Suriye İlişkilerinin Geleceği.

This study aims to analyze pragmatic nature of Syrian foreign policy during the rule of Bashar al-Assad and its impact on Turkish-Syrian relations. International isolation with which Syria faced after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 forced Bashar's administration to develop close relations with Turkey to diversify Syria's regional alliances. However, with the advent of the Arab Spring in Syria in mid-March 2011, Bashar began to shift his alliance with Turkey when Turkish PM Erdoğan called for him to give up power, backed opposition groups and imposed sanctions on Syria. This article argues that while Bashar al-Assad has different cards in his hands, such as Russia, China, Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas; Turkey cannot influence Syria. Thus, regime change in Damascus will continue to be a matter of uncertainty and Bashar will play all of his cards until losing the last one to protect the Baathist regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]