Aerial view of Istanbul, Turkey with World Heritage sites such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Galata Bridge and more in the Fatih district between the Golden Horn, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus.

Turkey, its Asian Pivot and the West: New Geopolitical Realities in the Making

Institutes:

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS),
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 

Project Members:

Ceren Ergenç, Research Fellow, Foreign Policy Unit, CEPS
Steven Blockmans, Senior Research Fellow, CEPS
Sergen Kızılhan, Project Assistant, Foreign Policy Unit, CEPS
Max Bergmann, Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center, CSIS
Ilke Toygür, Senior Associate (Non-Resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, CSIS
Jeffrey Mankoff, Senior Associate (Non-Resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, CSIS
Başak Alpan, Ass. Prof., Centre for European Studies and Dep. of Pol. Sc. and Public Admin., METU
Derya Göçer, Chair, Area Studies and Middle East Studies, METU
Evren Balta, Prof. of Political Science, Dep. of International Relations, Özyeğin University

Project Duration: June 24 - May 25

Contact:

Ceren Ergenç, email: ceren.ergenc@ceps.eu
Ilke Toygür, email: ilke.toygur@ie.edu

 

Anchored in the West but looking to the East, Turkey’s positioning towards China, Russia, and regional alliances alternative to Western ones, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO], has the potential to affect the global balance of power. Turkey's relationship with China and Russia in its immediate neighbourhood is far from a solid tripartite alliance, given the multitude of clashes in national interests from all parties involved. However, when Turkey's long quest for full membership in the SCO was partially rewarded with the status of dialogue partner, it brought the three countries together in an institutional setting. This opens up an interesting triangle to research: Turkey, the Sino-Russian partnership (whenever it applies), and the transatlantic alliance (with an emphasis on the EU) at global and regional levels. This project will tackle the following overarching question: What is the nature of Turkey's efforts to balance integration with Western institutions, particularly the EU, with the simultaneous pursuit of closer cooperation with Russia and China in the aftermath of the domestic presidential transition, as well as the global pandemic and ongoing regional wars? How should this balancing act be considered in European policymaking at both global and regional levels in the short and medium terms?

 

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