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Turkish Leverage Over the United States and European Union

Posted: September 16th, 2016

Since its birth, modern Turkey has occupied a delicate position in the world. Straddling both Asia and Europe, the ancient Ottoman capital of Istanbul captures the blessing and the curse of Turkish geography. On the one hand, it sits at the center of the old world, bordered by western Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, with easy access to the Mediterranean and Black Seas. On the other, it is inextricably linked to the failings and ambitions of its neighbors.

Today, little has changed. Bordering the Syrian civil war to the south, a newly assertive Russia to the north, and an ambivalent Europe to the west, Ankara finds itself at the center of a web of competing geopolitical interests. However, this unique strategic position has also lent the AK party-led government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan new opportunities to exert leverage over its most important western allies, especially the United States and the European Union (EU).

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