Turkey’s influence in the Western Balkans

During the Cold War, Turkey's interest in the Western Balkans remained relatively dormant, yet the wars that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and the active diplomacy pursued by the Turkish AK political party from 2002 onwards triggered greater Turkish involvement in the region. Nevertheless, Turkey's influence in the Western Balkans remains mainly based on cultural and educational programmes offered to those countries with a large Muslim community and steadily developing trade.

Author: Philippe Perchoc

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: An Overview of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans: 1990-2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/an-overview-of-turkish-foreign-policy-in-the-balkans-1990-2016/

Balkan Insight: Tag: Turkey and the Balkans http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/page/turkey-and-the-balkans

Deutsche Welle, 18.05.17: Erdogan wants Balkans as 'leverage' on Europe: expert http://p.dw.com/p/2ZU5C

Kathimerini, 20.05.18: Spurned by EU investors, Balkans looks to eager Turkey http://www.ekathimerini.com/228849/article/ekathimerini/business/spurned-by-eu-investors-balkans-looks-to-eager-turkey

[Blog] LSE European Institute, 23.05.18: Three lessons from Erdoğan’s rally in Sarajevo http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2018/05/23/three-lessons-from-erdogans-rally-in-sarajevo/

Politico, 15-17.05.18: Turkey’s Balkan comeback https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-western-balkans-comeback-european-union-recep-tayyip-erdogan/

The Guardian, 21.02.18: Europe is facing a potential crisis in the Balkans. It has to act soon https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/21/europe-crisis-balkans-eu-membership-russia-china-turkey

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