The problem of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in Turkey's foreign policy (2014 – 2024)

Abstract

The Crimean Peninsula has historically played a particularly important role in geopolitical, military, trade, economic, and ethnocultural processes in the Black Sea region. The purpose of thisarticle is to examine the peculiarities of Turkey's position on Russia's annexation of Crimea in the context of its foreign policy in the Black Sea region during 2014–2024.

Research methodology was based on the principles of historicism, systematicity and objectivity, general scientific methods of logic and comparative analysis, and special historical methods (historiographical analysis, historical-systemic, chronological, retrospective analysis, comparative-historical), the use of which made it possible to comprehensively study the place of Russia's annexation of Crimea in Turkey's recent foreign policy.

The scientific novelty of the work lies in researching the impact of Russia's annexation of Crimea on Turkey's foreign policy in the Black Sea region, considering the characteristics of its two stages – before and after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Results. The factor of Turkish-Russian relations and its impact on Ukrainian-Turkish ties during the specified period has been taken into account. It is emphasised that, despite the discursive emphasis on the importance of Crimea in terms of security, culture and religion, economic interdependence with Russia dominated other issues in Turkish foreign policy.

Conclusions. Russia's dominance in the Black Sea region poses serious threats to Turkey's security. However, Turkey's generally passive stance on Crimea, primarily due to its energy dependence on Russia, has called into question the effectiveness of the strategy that Turkey has pursued in the Black Sea region to date. In shaping its foreign policy, Turkey has prioritised economic issues over cultural and national identity issues, such as culture and religion. It is noted that Turkey's policy of balancing its relations with Ukraine and Russia in the context of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war that began in February 2022 was a logical continuation of its foreign policy in the previous period (2014–2021), primarily with regard to the issue of the annexation of Crimea. It remains consistently ambivalent and works to strengthen the country's position in the peace negotiation process and the post-war security system in the region.