The National: Turkey turns its gaze to the East - by Hamida Ghafour

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Prospects for Turkey’s accession to the exclusive European club may look dimmer than ever but the republic, which is Nato’s only Muslim member, is increasingly turning eastward for its ambitions. From the Balkans to the Caucasus to the Middle East, Turkey is focusing its energies on establishing an arc of influence in many countries which were once part of the Ottoman empire. But instead of rose-perfumed pashas in embroidered caftans invading Arab lands with cadres of janissaries, Turkish politicians are arriving with delegations of business leaders dangling lucrative trade deals to the economically stagnant region.

“Turkey is carrying western values to its eastern neighbours,” said Mustafa Kutley, an Ankara-based contributor to the Turkish Weekly journal. “It is trying a very European approach: while increasing the wealth of its country it is transforming the continent from one of violence to one of wealth. That is what Europe once did. The EU is less important on the Turkish agenda.”