Turkey was traditionally a bystander in Middle East politics. Its leaders believed that there was little to be contributed or gained by getting involved in the region’s problems, and that Turkey’s Ottoman legacy would leave its Arab neighbors suspicious.
土耳其在传统上一直在中东政治中扮演旁观者的角色。它的领导人一直认为，如果介入该地区的问题，土耳其没有什么可贡献，也不会得到任何好处，而且土耳其奥斯曼帝国的历史遗产会让其阿拉伯邻国们产生疑虑。