A N A LY S I S PEACE AND SECURITY TURKEY AND THE MEDITERRANEAN IMBROGLIO The story of an aspiring regional power İlhan Uzgel November 2020 Turkey’s assertive and militarized foreign policy have reached their limits in the Eastern Mediterranean, and as of late 2020, Ankara is seeking ways to exit its self-imposed impasse. The recent conflicts and crises in the region intensified anti-EU sentiments in Turkey, and the public has lost interest in the EU membership process. This may be good news for those in the EU who want to keep Turkey out of Europe, and for those in Turkey who want to keep the EU out of Turkey, but the EU cannot face losing Turkey, and the EU is too critical for Turkey to lose. The prevalent sentiment in Turkey is that the EU is backing traditional foes of Turkey, which eventually plays into the hands of nationalist forces in the country.