Blogged a piece a while ago about how Iranian products just aren't making it in Iraq, while Turkish ones are far more welcome. This FT piece by Daniel Dombey (whom I cite a lot) argues that what the geo-pols consider Turkish empire re-building is undergirded for the most part in wanting to dominate export models (my read of his analysis). Why?
Turkey has hit that middle-class phase where the people want to consumer a lot and thus imports rise - along with consumer credit. Unless you combat that with exports, you end up a bit too much like the US.
Iraq has just overtaken Italy as Turkey's second-biggest export market, with the KRG leading the way.
Turkey has similar eyes for Syria and - ultimately - a post-changed-regime Iran.
These are good ambitions, the best kind of "imperialism" - really: making consumers happier than the crappy regime that lords over them.