The article analyses the relationship between the domestic and foreign policies of the Republic of Turkey in the context of the Syrian conflict and the transformation of the Middle Eastern subsystem of international relations. Particular attention is paid to Ankara’s strategy, which includes the use of external conflicts for domestic political consolidation. The consequences of Turkish military operations in Syria, the peculiarities of interaction with various non-state actors, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*, and the impact of the post-Assad power configuration on the regional balance of power are examined. It is revealed that the use of the Syrian track as a political gambit has led to an intensification of structural contradictions within Turkey itself: increased economic pressure, a migration crisis, and ethno-political fragmentation. The conclusion is drawn that Ankara’s strategic achievements are dual in nature: short-term successes in foreign policy have resulted in long-term costs for internal stability.
Turkey, Syria, Syrian conflict, Middle East security, regional leadership, foreign policy, Kurdish issue