The USA, Turkey, and the Middle East: Continuities, Challenges, and Opportunities.

The article situates Turkey's approach to the Middle East in a broader historical context, demonstrating that there is more continuity in Ankara's approach to the region than observers tend to believe. It also argues that specific domestic political, economic, and global patterns of politics are likely to produce a divergence between the USA and Turkey on critical Middle Eastern issues, notably the Israeli–Palestinian problem and Iran's drive for regional influence. In an unintended way, however, the Arab awakening may drive a greater confluence of interests between Washington and Ankara. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]