Iraq After the U.S. Withdrawal: Al Maliki against Turkey

The political crisis among the key players had become the main issue of Iraqi politics since the U.S. withdrawal. It had evolved into a kind of regional debacle, even creating tension with Turkey. Between the Kurdish problem and the Sunni-Shi’a rivalry, Turkey believed that re-configuration of Iraqi politics was vital to its interests in Middle Eastern politics. The political crisis in Iraq did not refer only to the tension among politicians, but also to more complex debates, like Iraq’s new foreign policy orientation in relations with the United States, Iran, and Turkey.