Turkey’s policy in the Balkans and Turkish approaches to interaction with Russia and Greece

Abstract

The Balkans region is one of the priorities of Turkish foreign policy. Under the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkish policy towards the Balkans has gained new impetus in a wide range of directions. The Balkans strategy of Ankara is based on three complementary concepts: European integration and affiliation with the West, development of relations with regional states on the basis of pragmatic interests, and the cultural and historical presence of Turkey in the Balkans. Ankara’s approaches to its historical neighbour-adversaries Russia and Greece are based on a complicated combination of pragmatic political and economic concerns as well as cultural and historical patterns. Despite all the divergences on a number of issues, Russian-Turkish relations are going through the period of an unprecedented rapprochement. There are a lot of difficult problems in Greco-Turkish relations, but the two countries nevertheless try to find opportunities for dialogue. This all underlines the importance and the use of studying and analysing Turkish approaches to the Balkan policies of Russia and Greece.