Turkey hosted this year’s NATO summit and fields the alliance’s second-largest army, arms Ukraine while trading with Russia, and remains an EU candidate whose accession talks collapsed years ago. Europeans keep asking whether Ankara can be anchored in the West or is drifting away. Both questions assume Turkey must eventually choose a home when…
At July’s NATO summit in Ankara, European leaders accepted that they must carry more of their own defence. Turning that promise into money means winning a fight over the EU’s next seven-year budget, against coalitions that have defended farm and cohesion spending for decades
European and Turkish policymakers should take three steps immediately to deliver on their shared interests. This approach could help stabilise their relationship and lay the groundwork for broader engagement
The 12-day war between Israel and Iran could have serious implications across the Middle East, not least by exacerbating ongoing tensions between Turkey and Israel. Europeans need to reassure Ankara that they are focused on regional stability—and take Turkey’s defence concerns seriously
Europe’s security requires cooperation with Turkey, but Erdogan’s domestic abuses complicate the relationship. To navigate this, Europeans must invest in this partnership, prioritising urgent needs while carefully nurturing the seeds of a more democratic Turkey for the future
After years of bickering, Europe and Turkey need each other more than ever. A security partnership in the Black Sea could be the first step toward a pragmatic, if uneasy, alliance to contain Russia
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced Turkey’s intention to apply for BRICS membership. If successful, it would be the bloc’s only NATO member – but the mere prospect of joining could open the door to Turkey’s re-engagement with the West
Rose Garden Palace, Via Boncompagni 19, 00187 Rome
·ECFR Rome
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
Turkey’s backing of Hamas has left it out of diplomatic processes and further strained its ties with the US. However, its recent decision to approve Sweden’s NATO membership could be an opportunity for Western diplomats to patch things up
Many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate into political alignment. Instead, they prefer to live in a world where they can trade with China, enjoy security cooperation with the US, and emulate the European way of…
After years of bickering, Europe and Turkey need each other more than ever. A security partnership in the Black Sea could be the first step toward a pragmatic, if uneasy, alliance to contain Russia
At July’s NATO summit in Ankara, European leaders accepted that they must carry more of their own defence. Turning that promise into money means winning a fight over the EU’s next seven-year budget, against coalitions that have defended farm and cohesion spending for decades
European and Turkish policymakers should take three steps immediately to deliver on their shared interests. This approach could help stabilise their relationship and lay the groundwork for broader engagement
The 12-day war between Israel and Iran could have serious implications across the Middle East, not least by exacerbating ongoing tensions between Turkey and Israel. Europeans need to reassure Ankara that they are focused on regional stability—and take Turkey’s defence concerns seriously
Europe’s security requires cooperation with Turkey, but Erdogan’s domestic abuses complicate the relationship. To navigate this, Europeans must invest in this partnership, prioritising urgent needs while carefully nurturing the seeds of a more democratic Turkey for the future
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced Turkey’s intention to apply for BRICS membership. If successful, it would be the bloc’s only NATO member – but the mere prospect of joining could open the door to Turkey’s re-engagement with the West
Turkey’s backing of Hamas has left it out of diplomatic processes and further strained its ties with the US. However, its recent decision to approve Sweden’s NATO membership could be an opportunity for Western diplomats to patch things up
Turkey’s strength in the Black Sea may have persuaded Russia to return to the Ukraine grain export deal. But the agreement also lends another string to its bow
States in the region increasingly design and produce their own drones. The EU should respond by investing in European drone technology and creating a shared accountability regime for the use of such systems
The Turkish president is unlikely to veto Nordic membership of NATO – but Turkey’s bigger strategic worry is of a NATO-Russia conflict arising out of the war in Ukraine
Russia’s war on Ukraine has allowed Turkey to begin to rebuild its relationship with the West. Brussels and Ankara both need to make sacrifices to continue this process and protect their strategic interests
The European Union faces a multi-crisis situation at the moment. As the conflict in Idlib and the circumstances at the Greek-Turkish border has erupted, Europe…
Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and discusses the US strategy in Syria with Asli Aydintasbas, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jasmin El-Gamal. The podcast was recorded…
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydintasbas, Jeremy Shapiro and Julien Barnes-Dacy about what effect the incident might have on relations between Saudi Arabia, the US…
Mark Leonard examines the looming Syrian-Russian military action in Idlib in discussion with ECFR experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Julien Barnes-Dacey, and Almut Möller. What do Turks…
Mark Leonard speaks with Oksana Antonenko, Director for Global Political risk Analysis at Control Risks, and ECFR Turkey experts Asli Aydintasbas and Almut Moeller about…
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydıntaşbaş about why Erdoğan called early elections for this summer, and the new European Commission’s accession report. Bookshelf:…
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with Soli Özel, ECFR Council Member and Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul and ECFR's Vessela…
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with ECFR's senior fellows, Asli Aydintasbas and Almut Moeller on the German-Turkish diplomatic spat, the forthcoming polls and the bigger…
Turkey hosted this year’s NATO summit and fields the alliance’s second-largest army, arms Ukraine while trading with Russia, and remains an EU candidate whose accession talks collapsed years ago. Europeans keep asking whether Ankara can be anchored in the West or is drifting away. Both questions assume Turkey must eventually choose a home when…
Rose Garden Palace, Via Boncompagni 19, 00187 Rome
·ECFR Rome
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
Many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate into political alignment. Instead, they prefer to live in a world where they can trade with China, enjoy security cooperation with the US, and emulate the European way of…
The fragile state of Libya has been a hub for migration and smuggling for a long time. Mattia Toaldo presented the results of his Policy Brief “Libya's migrant-smuggling highway”, while Angeliki Dimitriadi, ECFR Research Fellow on migration, reported from her personal experiences and field research in the region. This led to an intense discussion about legal migration
