Transformation of Turkish-Russian Relations: Rivalry and Cooperation in Eurasia and the Levant

Abstract

Relations between Russia and Türkiye have developed considerably since the end of the Cold War. What began as energy trade in the late 1980s evolved into cooperation in business, energy, construction, tourism, politics and even security. Behind the ever-expanding cooperation lies a mistrust fueled by historical enmity and regional rivalry that occasionally leads to confrontation. As the two countries seek to shape their competitive cooperation beyond the current geopolitical challenges and constraints of regional security and alliances, the question of whether they could find ways to advance their partnership is of paramount importance and has regional and global implications. This paper seeks to understand how they have managed their conflict-ridden past to develop a modus operandi in the post-Cold War world by proposing a new conceptual model, namely “competitive cooperation” or “coopetition”, to understand the relationship that developed over the last 30 years in different geographical regions.

Keywords

Turkish Foreign Policy, Competitive Cooperation, Coopetition, Black Sea, Mediterranean

Citation

Mustafa Aydın, “Transformation of Turkish-Russian Relations: Rivalry and Cooperation in Eurasia and the Levant", Uluslararası İlişkiler, Advanced Online Publication, 20 January 2025, pp. 1-19. DOI: 10.33458/uidergisi.1621393

Affiliations

Mustafa AYDIN Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Kadir Has University, İstanbul E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0002-4029-6681