An Assessment of Turkey's Strained Relations with the West after the Arab Spring
Abstract
Assuming that the elements of convergence between Turkey and the West are still greater than those of divergence, this work asks why Turkey has developed conflictual relations with the West. The analysis starts with an overview of the role that the Arab Spring has played in the evolution of Turkish foreign policy. The second element of analysis is the influence that Erdogan's understanding of politics has on the Turkish conduct of foreign policy. The focus on Turkeys behavior in Syria, in the Eastern Mediterranean, and within NATO shows the negative impact that the different threat perceptions between the US, the EU, and NATO have on the relations between Turkey and the West. Erdogan's conduct of foreign policy based on aggressive nationalism and personal diplomacy further increase the friction with the West. This paper suggests that the increasing divergences with the West could increase Turkish isolation and create a dangerous void that Russia can progressively fill to harm the cohesion between Turkey and the Western allies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 26, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1177979
Entities
People
- Paride Epifani
Organizations
- Marine Corps University