Over the last decade, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have energized their role in regional politics, from the use of military intervention, to increased bilateral foreign assistance, to a more robust regional coordination role. This, combined with a perception of U.S. disengagement from the Middle East, has prompted GCC countries to seek and establish strong relations with other centers of power, regionally and globally.

In this third roundtable of the Gulf Rising series, AGSIW looked beyond GCC relations with the United States to examine economic and political ties with Turkey. Roundtable participants explored the regional and domestic issues that have defined the Gulf states’ foreign policy choices toward Turkey and vice-versa, as well as the implications for regional stability and U.S. foreign policy. The roundtable will produce a policy paper with recommendations targeted toward the GCC countries, Turkey, and the United States.

The discussion was led by Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Cook is the author of The Struggle for Egypt: From Nasser to Tahrir Square, and Ruling But Not Governing: The Military and Political Development in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey. His new book, False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East, will be published by Oxford University Press in 2017. Cook has published widely in foreign policy journals, opinion magazines, and newspapers, and he is a frequent commentator on radio and television. He also writes the blog, “From the Potomac to the Euphrates.” Cook holds a BA in international studies from Vassar College, an MA in international relations from Johns Hopkins University, and an MA and PhD in political science from the University of Pennsylvania.