The Impact of Eurasianism On Turkey's Role in the Ukraine War

Abstract

Turkey's attempt to act as problem solver in the Ukraine crisis follows its hedging strategy. This approach, which creates strategic ambiguity, has been interpreted as Ankara's distancing itself from its Western allies. Since Turkey realizes that an escalation of the war would complicate its NATO relationships, it is trying to capitalize on its good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and play the role of mediator. This article argues that Turkey, despite its turn toward Eurasianism, is hedging to avoid taking sides in a great-power rivalry. Ankara's preferences should not be expected to change in the medium term, regardless of electoral results.