Turkey and the Balkans in the post-cold war era : diplomatic

Abstract

This dissertation argues that as a region in which Turkey has been no stranger since the end of the 14th century, the Balkans poses political, military, and economic significance for Turkey. Turkey has strong historical ties with the Balkans; the region is a strategic link between Turkey and Europe; Ankara is concerned that the Turkish minority in the region remain integrated in their host countries; and there is also a remarkable amount of Balkan immigrants in Turkey who are influential on Ankara’s Balkan policies. Therefore, Turkey’s engagement in the regional developments intensified after 1990. However, the intensity of relations lost momentum after 1995 due to more pressing domestic and foreign policy issues, causing a lack of strong cooperation network between political, military and economic fields. In this framework, the main research questions in this dissertation will be based on finding under what circumstances Turkey’s political, diplomatic, economic and military relations towards the region have been formulated after 1990 and whether (and how) these policies displayed continuity or disruptions became possible throughout. It argues that well-worked policies towards the region can be achieved if political, diplomatic, economic and military relations are treated evenly.