Drowning man catching a straw: An explanation of Turkey’s history of rapprochements with Russia
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00207020231163058 |
| Author | Muhammet Koçak |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Lesson of History |
Lesson of History
International Journal
© The Author(s) 2023
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/00207020231163058
journals.sagepub.com/home/ijx
Drowning man catching a
straw: An explanation of
Turkey’s history of
rapprochements with Russia
Muhammet Koçak
Institute for Area Studies, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ankara, Türkiye
Abstract
In the mid-2010s Turkey-Russia relations gained a strategic dimension after the two
nations began to work together in Syria and took bold steps to cooperate on defence
and nuclear energy. This development was commonly regarded as a major shift in
Turkish foreign policy. This article argues that the context in which the Turkey-Russia
nexus operates is historically rooted. Since the nineteenth century, Russia almost has
been the most critical threat to Turkey; and Turkey consistently sought to moderate
this threat, mostly with Western assistance. But when Turkey either failed to subdue
Russia or there was no significant threat, it would opt for rapprochement with Russia.
An examination of the historical background of Turkey-Russia relations helps explain
these nations’contemporary dynamics with one another.
Keywords
Turkey-Russia relations, Ukraine crisis, Black Sea, Middle East, Turkish foreign policy,
Russian foreign policy
Turkey and Russia are two of the leading powers in the Wider Black Sea region. They
have been in intense competition for centuries, all the while developing and main-
taining economic and social relations. During the Cold War, the two countries were
members of opposite camps; while the Soviet Union led the Warsaw Pact, Turkey
Corresponding author:
Muhammet Koçak, Institute for Area Studies, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ulus, Ankara, Türkiye.
Email: mkocak@yandex.ru
2022, Vol. 77(4) 713–725
To continue reading
Request your trial