The Russia-Ukraine Crisis and Turkey's Balancing Act

By virtue of history and geography, but also economic, security, and defense interests, Turkey has high stakes in the Ukrainian-Russian relationship and has walked a fine line to pursue cordial relations with both countries. It has invested in Ukraine’s defense industry, and has supported its territorial integrity. At the same time, Turkey has pursued a contradictory policy toward Russian expansion. On the one hand, Turkey refused to lift restrictions on the size and number of US warships allowed to enter the Black Sea during Russia’s intervention in Georgia’s South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions and refused to implement US-EU sanctions on Russia in response to Crimea. On the other hand, it backed NATO programs to train and equip Georgian armed forces and did not recognize the annexation of Crimea to be legal. An escalation of the Ukrainian crisis could put Turkey in a difficult position of having to choose between Russia and Ukraine, as well as come under pressure to align itself with the sanctions policy of its NATO allies.

Please join us for a conversation on the Ukrainian crisis and its possible impact and consequences for Turkey’s position.

If you have any questions, please contact Annika Vollmer at [email protected].

This online event is part of a series of events and analyses organized as part of the GMF-TOBB Fellowship on Turkey, Europe, and Global Issues launched by GMF in partnership with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in 2017.