Rise of the Ottoman Phoenix

PHILIP MCCRUM states that a confluence of factors such as size, geography, religion and ethnicity were conferring Turkey with greater regional authority guaranteeing the rise of the Ottoman phoenix enhancing its national interests. In an analysis for the International Relations and Security Network (ISN), "Turkey’s Expanding Geopolitical Reach",he predicts that Turkey's strategic position at the crossroads of a diversified east-west natural gas supply network as well as its leadership position in the Muslim world as the largest Islamic economic power ensured greater geostrategic significance that even its domestic squabbles could not overcome.

Hamam in Afghanistan

SEDAT LACINER, Director of Turkey's International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) claims that Turkey's status as a Muslim country, the NATO power with the largest army after the U.S. and its close historical ties to both Afghanistan and Pakistan made it an ideal country in any future plan for Afghan reconstruction. In an article in the the Turkish Weekly, "Turkey Should Play Further Role in Afghanistan", he states that Turkey could train the Afghan police in addition to the training its currently imparting to the Afghan army divisions and outlines a region-based approach towards Afghan economic reconstruction cautioning that Western goals for a fully functioning democracy in Afghanistan was unrealistic.