Turkey in the Western Balkans: Between Orientalist Cultural Proximity and Re-Orientation of Regional Equilibria
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the current role of Turkey in South Eastern Europe by stressing the ongoing socio-cultural dynamics in the area. By this point of view the essay is focused on the Turkish rapprochement to the Western Balkans, former territory of the Ottoman Empire in which the orientalist fascination is still very fertile and gradually more evident in some features of the popular culture. The Turkish re-engagement in the Balkans constitutes a pillar of the Ankara’s new regional policy launched in the 1990s by Premier Erdogan, who encouraged focused economic ties and implemented the strategic use of soft power. The successful return of Turkey’s influence in the area, favored by a common historical and cultural legacy, may reorient the regional policies in the South Eastern Europe, weakening the European integration process and promoting Ankara as the main interlocutor for the Western Balkans.
Key words: Turkey; South Eastern Europe; Balkans; Orientalism; Ottoman Empire; Smart power, European Union
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