Mar 12, 2026
Nearly two weeks into the
US and Israel’s war with Iran, MEI Senior Fellow Gönül Tol
joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to explore the
impact of the widening regional conflict on Turkey. On March 9,
Ankara announced that NATO air defenses shot down a second Iranian
ballistic missile that had entered Turkish airspace since the start
of the war and stated it would take all necessary defensive
measures. Turkey is now caught in the middle of an escalating
conflict that could pose risks to the country’s security, economy,
and foreign policy. Tol, Taylor, and Czekaj discuss what a
prolonged regional conflict could mean for Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan, his regional political objectives, and Turkey’s
relationship with key Middle Eastern neighbors.
Find Gönül’s latest article on Turkey’s position amid the
Iran war here, and her explainer on what the
war means for Turkey here.
Recorded on March 11, 2026.