ABSTRACT
Relations between Syria and Turkey transformed from enmity in the 1990s to détente in the early 2000s, grew into amity after the rise to power of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP, Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi) in 2002, and reverted to enmity in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. This research suggests that a combination of structural and identity-based factors, at regional and domestic levels, induced the collapse of the decade-long amity. This chapter determines the orientation of foreign policy outcomes from the 1990s until 2011. The discussion outlines the merits of a hybrid theoretical perspective by elaborating on Barkin’s idea of “realist constructivism,” which draws on two rival traditions, realism and constructivism. The framework explains the double transformation in the relationship, considering the return to inter- and intra-state conflict in 2011. In addition to exploring the relationship between Syria and Turkey, the analysis provides potential broader explanations that fuel the shift from amity to enmity in the complex network of states found in the Middle East.
