- Author:
Jan Niemiec
- E-mail:
jan.p.w.niemiec@gmail.com
- Institution:
Jagiellonian University in Kraków
- ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8593-451X
- Year of publication:
2022
- Source:
Show
- Pages:
201-228
- DOI Address:
https://doi.org/10.15804/npw20223510
- PDF:
npw/35/npw3510.pdf
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Turkish foreign policy towards the Western Balkans
The scientific aim of this paper is to analyse and evaluate actions taken by Turkey’s leading politicians with regard to the Western Balkan states (i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the Justice and Development Party came to power in 2002, Turkey has attempted to increase its international influence through diplomatic, economic and cultural measures. Western Balkans region, with which Turks have historical and ethnic ties, is one of the key areas in AKP’s doctrine. Adopting image theory in international relations as the theoretical foundation, this research examines implementation of Turkish foreign policy in the Western Balkans in times of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. By employing available original Turkish sources (academic publications, public reports, press releases), the main objectives of Turkey’s political strategy towards the region have been determined. Detailed analysis of official statements and speeches of Turkish policy-makers was also fundamental for this study. In this context, the values and symbols to which the AKP government refers in its activities in the Western Balkans have been identified. Based on content analysis, comparative analysis and political discourse analysis, this research seeks to explain the rationale of Turkish actions in recent months. As a conclusion, future prospects for Turkey’s involvement in the Western Balkans have been presented and discussed.
- Author:
Magdalena Kumelska-Koniecko
- E-mail:
magdalena.kumelska@uwm.edu.pl
- Institution:
Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie
- ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1515-4665
- Year of publication:
2023
- Source:
Show
- Pages:
7-29
- DOI Address:
https://doi.org/10.15804/so2023301
- PDF:
so/27/so2701.pdf
The Role of Republic of Türkiye in the Mediation between Ukraine and Russia
Since the armed attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Republic of Türkiye has been to mediate between the conflicting parties as a part of extensive diplomatic activities, the primary goal of which is to induce the parties to a ceasefire, work out peace terms, and, finally, end the war. Although Ankara’s mediation has not yet led to the expected breakthrough, it has managed to reach an agreement on grain exports and exchange prisoners of war. The paper aims to analyse the role of Türkiye as a mediator in Russia’s war against Ukraine, indicating the conditions of Türkiye ‘s involvement in the mediation, and verify the effects of Turkish diplomacy in the short and long-term. Regarding the defined objectives, the following research assumptions were adopted. First, in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Türkiye adopted the ‘strategic autonomy’, which allowed it to maintain its credibility in mediations between the parties and to take care of vital interests in the area of security and economy. Second, Türkiye’s involvement in the mediation has contributed to the country’s increased importance and prestige in the international arena, which is an important element of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman strategy that has been implemented for two decades. Third, Ankara’s diplomatic offensive contributed to the warming of Turkish-American relations, which have been in deep crisis since 2016. The following research instruments were used in the preparation of the text: analysis, synthesis, and inference.