Steven A. Cook is a columnist at Foreign Policy and the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book is The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East.
Donald Trump tosses a 'Make America Great Again' hat into the crowd while speaking in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dec. 9, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with Lebanon's Christian Maronite patriarch on Nov. 14 in Riyadh. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony marking the last year's failed coup, at the Bestepe People's Culture and Congress Centre in Ankara, on July 13, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Supporters of the "yes" wave Turkish national flags and scarfs picturing Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a rally in front of the president residence, at Sariyer district, in Istanbul, on April 16, 2017, after the initial results of a nationwide referendum that will determine Turkey's future destiny.
The "Yes" campaign to give Turkish President expanded powers was just ahead in a tightly-contested referendum but the 'No' was closing the gap, according to initial results. / AFP PHOTO / Bulent Kilic (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)
