Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 03/2014

Turkish-Russian Relations in The Post-Cold War Period: Current Dynamics, Future Prospects

Habibe Özdal, M. Turgut Demirtepe

July 2013

International Strategic Research Organization (USAK)

Abstract

The International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) has recently published a report named as“Turkish-Russian Relations in The Post-Cold War Period: Current Dynamics, Future Prospects”. This report can be evaluated from this perspective, as it is the first product of the Track II initiative that has started between International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) and Institute of Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences (IOS). The first meeting was held in Ankara in 19 February 2013 with participation of Turkish and Russian academicians, bureaucrats and decision makers. However, it is just the first step and should be taken to a next level by better coordination and planning in the future. One of the main outcomes of this meeting is that there are so many areas waiting to be addressed as here are so many commonalities in the historical and social contexts of the two countries. In this regard, the potential of cooperation in regional level has not been developed as much as the level of cooperation in the bilateral level. The report tries to cover these issues in three different chapters. In the first chapter, the report focuses on the political aspect of the relations and tries to answer the questions of “How the political relations developed in the last 20 years?”, “What were the main challenges and turning points that helped to establish a vThe report tries to cover these issues in three different chapters. In the first chapter, the report focuses on the political aspect of the relations and tries to answer the questions of “How the political relations developed in the last 20 years?”, “What were the main challenges and turning points that helped to establish a vibrant dialogue between the two states?” and “What are the areas that should be addressed in the near future?”