Neil Partrick is a freelance writer on the Middle East, His book “Saudi Arabian Foreign Policy: Conflict & Cooperation”, IB Tauris, 2nd (revised, paperback) edition is coming out in mid-April 2018.
Hizbollah’s proven armed capability in Syria, Israel’s perceived political defeat in 2006, coupled with a possible US and Saudi green light, may make confrontation inevitable.
The ongoing protests have only emphasised the gap between the Turkish government and the EU, and between Turkey and Arab leaders whose fear of revolt doesn’t necessarily translate into political solidarity with Ankara.