The desperate alliance of Turkey and Saudi Arabia

Obviously, long-time U.S. allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia are extremely unhappy with the U.S.'s policy change over Syria in particular and the Middle East in general. Both countries long refused to face reality and did everything to hinder the new U.S. (and indeed Western) policy that prioritized the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) over regime change in Syria. They ended up greatly disappointed and even felt betrayed by their great friend the U.S., and are outraged by Washington's choice of new favorites: Iran and the Kurds.

Now, both heartbroken, Riyadh and Ankara seem to want try to join forces and change the new regional circumstances. On the one hand, Turkey's welcoming of Saudi Arabia to use its ?ncirlik air base to launch attacks against ISIL seems to be a show of an "alternative and strong alliance" against the grand consensus between the West, Iran and Russia. On the other hand, Turkey's shelling of Kurdish positions on the northern Syrian border aims to demonstrate its decisiveness concerning the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). I do not think Turkey and Saudi Arabia are considering risking their alliances with the West, but rather seeking more recognition. In short, their recent policies seem to be shaped more by desperateness than by comfortable choice.

Nevertheless, it is quite paradoxical to try to hinder one's allies' efforts while at the same time seeking more recognition. After Turkey and Saudi Arabia joined the coalition with their Western allies to fight ISIL, they focused more on fighting those they defined as bigger threats. Turkey started an extensive military attack on Kurds while Saudi Arabia started a military intervention against Shiite Houthis in Yemen. Anyway it was already an open...