MESOP RESEARCH TURKEY : Next Event – Public Conference

Title: “Turkey and Russia: Friends in Need or Partners of Convenience?” – Speaker: Dr. Dimitar Bechev, Visiting Fellow, European Institute, LSE – Chair: Bill Park, Senior Lecturer, Defence Studies Department, King’s College

Date: Thursday, 12 March 2015 – Time: 18:30-20:00 Venue: S-2.23, King’s College London (KCL) -“Turkey and Russia: Friends in Need or Partners of Convenience?” – 12 March 2015, King’s College London

We are pleased to announce Centre for Policy and Research on Turkey (Research Turkey)’s public conference entitled “Turkey and Russia: Friends in Need or Partners of Convenience?” in which Dr. Dimitar Bechev, Visiting Fellow, European Institute, LSE will give a talk. This event will take place on Thursday, 12 March 2015 between 6:30p.m. and 8:00p.m. at S-2.23, Lecture Theatre, Strand Campus, King’s College London, WC2R 2LS. Bill Park, Senior Lecturer, Defence Studies Department, King’s College will kindly chair the event.You may find the short biographies of the speaker, the chair and as well as the talk’s abstract below.This event is free and open to public but it is a ticketed event that requires pre-registration. A ticket does not guarantee a seat.

Abstract of the Talk

Russia and Turkey have, over the past two decades, developed a very constructive relationship across a wide variety of policy areas. Imperial rivals during much of the Cold War, both countries have since then found common interests in matters of energy, trade and even defence. Besides their growing interdependence, it is hard not to notice the similarities between the two leaders of these countries, especially when it comes to the conspiracy mind-set of blaming dissent at home on foreign meddling. But does this mean that Turkey is fundamentally realigning its foreign policy strategy, away from the EU and towards Russia? And is the EU facing the emergence of an “axis of the excluded”? Not so according to Dimitar Bechev. Dr. Bechev argues that the ties between Russia and Turkey are driven by pragmatism and realpolitik. Contentious issues – such as the war in Syria – may be insulated from areas of overlapping interest, but deeper examination shows the glue holding the two countries together – their energy interdependence – is slowly weakening.