Turkey’s Foreign Policy Direction in 2020
4:30am - 6:00am EST
10:30am - 12:00pm CET
11:30am - 1:00pm EET
About this event
Discussants
- Fuat Keyman, Director, Istanbul Policy Center and Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Social Impact, Sabancı University
- Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Coordinator, Istanbul Policy Center and Professor, Sabancı University
Moderator
- Jonathan D. Katz, Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and its Frontlines of Democracy Initiative invite you to join us on January 16 for a timely roundtable discussion on Turkey’s foreign policy direction in 2020.
U.S.-Turkish relations in 2019 were challenged by a growing rift, domestic political instability in the U.S. and Turkey, and, at times, glaring strategic differences between the NATO allies and their increasingly polarizing leaders.
Despite fundamental differences between Ankara and Washington and increasingly hardened reactions by policymakers, particularly in the U.S., including a December push for S-400 and energy related sanctions, there has not been a complete collapse in this strategic partnership. The direction Turkey’s government pursues over the next twelve months will have an outsized impact on the future of U.S.-Turkish relations. Debate and reactions by policymakers in the West on Turkey's direction will continue to focus on Ankara’s foreign policy orientation, increasing proximity to Moscow, including the upcoming launch of TurkStream on January 8, its role in NATO, the escalating unrest in the Eastern Mediterranean, and its policies in Syria and now in Libya. In addition, Turkey and the region are faced with unpredictable challenges following the decision of President Trump to kill Iranian General Qassim Suleimani. Turkey’s position within the rapidly changing and interwoven regional dynamics also has a significant bearing on U.S.-Turkey relations, and many believe this will continue. Experts joining us from Turkey will unpack the domestic and regional dynamics behind Turkish foreign policy in 2020 and discuss their potential implications in the context of future scenarios.
To RSVP or if you have any questions, please contact John Alexander at [email protected].