Abstract. The rule of the Islamist Justice and Development Party in Turkey led to a shift in ideological foundations of the state and gradual backsliding on Ataturk’s ideas that had served as a basis for Turkish domestic and foreign policies. Turkish leader Recep Erdoğan managed to neutralize the political influence of the army through a constitutional referendum. In that, Erdoğan relied on support of the Gülenist movement that he later crashed. Strengthened domestic position enabled Erdoğan to change foreign policy priorities: orientation towards the West gave a way to closer ties with the Islamic world. Turkey’s ruling circles, influenced by the neo-Ottomanism, enthusiastically welcomed the ―Arab Spring‖ revolutions, but failed to gain support for these ideas in the Arab world. While proceeding with its fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Turkey launched repeated offensives against the Syrian Kurds, to prevent creation of Kurdish autonomy in Syria. Russian intervention prevented Turkey from occupying the Northern Syria. In Libya, Turkey has backed the government of Fayez al-Sarraj and affiliated Islamists and tries to take control over a part of the Mediterranean shelf.