Development of Turkish Foreign Policy Towards the Western Balkans with Focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Under the AKP government, Turkey’s foreign policy towards the Western Balkans, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular, has led many analysts to suspect it of possessing neo-imperial, or so-called neo-Ottoman, objectives. These suspicions have been compounded by the repeated declarations of former Prime Minister Davutoğlu and current President Erdoğan that the history and religious identity shared by Turks and Western Balkan Muslims forms the basis of both Turkish-Balkan relations and a common future. Critical examination of official Ankara’s attitudes toward the Western Balkans in general, and especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, identifies four distinct phases in which cultural, historical, and religious appeals morphed into the set of distinctive foreign policies. These policies have also been shaped by pragmatic pursuits of regional influence, the effects of internal (Turkish) transformations, and more recently, the ad hoc policies of President Erdoğan. This article will reconstruct the development of Turkish foreign policy since 1990, from multilateral and soft power efforts to religious and economic objectives, and will analyse the limits of this policy.

Serious about Integration or Political Posturing? Political Elites and their Impact on Half-hearted Europeanisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…While Turkey officially supports the Eurointegration of BiH, it also applies its neo -Ottoman foreign policy by providing political support and funds for Bosniak leadership. Likewise, Russian presence, Turkey's engagement is accompanied by various business, religious and cultural activities (Rašidagić -Hesova 2020). The Kremlin's influence in the country is predominantly based on its close relations with RS and Serbian nationalists.…”

Turkey’s Trade With Western Balkans: Looking Beyond the Turkish Foreign Policy

“…While imports of Turkish goods dominate trade, especially exports of Serbian goods to Turkey have risen sharply recently to reach a third of total trade with Turkey. 53 According to Kocaslan et al 54 Balkans and Turkey can provide Turkey with many benefits, such as spillover and feedback effects. Turkey lacks a stable trade scheme.…”

Törökország És Az Európai Unió Kapcsolatainak Fejlődése És Jövője

“…A török fél a tárgyalások során igyekezett kihasználni az erőforrások tekintetében meglévő szélesebb lehetőségeit és nagyobb befolyását annak céljából, hogy minden a lehető leggördülékenyebben menjen pártfogoltja Bosznia-Hercegovina és a gázvezeték esetében. Ez érthető, hiszen Bosznia-Hercegovina jelentős őshonos mohamedán lakossággal rendelkezik, és Törökország bár szekuláris állam, igyekszik képviselni, és ha szükséges, megvédeni az európai muszlim közösségek érdekeit, valamint arra törekszik, hogy jó kapcsolatokat ápoljon e közösségekkel és államokkal [8].…”