From the guest editors.

• Position: Editorial

This issue of Uluslararasi Iliskiler/ International Relations deals with the way the crisis in Syria influenced Turkey's relations with a number of actors and agencies. The crisis in Syria, almost since it broke out, brought about a sea change in the Middle East. Being the fulcrum of the Arab-Israeli military equation since the conclusion of the Camp David Accords, any change pertaining to Syria would obviously be of some importance in any geopolitical calculation in the Levant. Therefore, the dynamics released by the crisis either enthused or dragged agencies to scramble for Syria in order to exert influence over the course of events. Many anticipated that the uprisings in Syria would lead to a situation reminiscent of what had occurred in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, yet to their surprise, the events evolved into a perennial war of the proxies, eventually morphing into a muddle. Soon after the uprisings broke out, the crisis turned into a quagmire even for those who had envisaged that they would be able to steer the course of events. Furthermore, as the crisis persisted, it became increasingly clear that the turmoil incited by the uprisings would not remain confined to Syria. Fomenting chain reactions beyond the Middle East, the crisis evolved into one of international magnitude.

The first shockwaves of the crisis were felt in Turkey. Coping with increasing pressure from all sides in mid-2012, the Syrian military resorted to a strategy of survival. This entailed the abandonment of large territories in the north and east of Syria for a more effective defense of the western part of the country where major cities are located. The deliberate decision of the Syrian regime precipitated two major consequences, both to the detriment of Turkey. Retreating from the northern parts of the country, Damascus handed the control of three large chunks of territory to the PKK, its former proxy and Turkey's archenemy. Therefore, the foundation of three Kurdish cantons, dubbed Rojava, alongside the Turkish-Syrian border marked the beginning of a new phase in how Turkey dealt with the situation in Syria. Mesmerized by the backlash from Damascus, Ankara gradually shifted its proactive policy supporting regime change in Syria to a reactive one, devised to inhibit the consolidation of Kurdish cantons into a breakaway statelet in northern Syria.

The meteoric rise of the Islamic State [ISIS] can partly be attributed to the retreat of the Syrian military from the eastern part of the country. Taking advantage of the retreat, the organization could seize large territories in Iraq and Syria much more easily. Changing the power...