Rapprochement in Russia-Turkey Relations and its impact on the Cyprus Question

The Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies Department

invites you to the Postgraduate Seminar:

Rapprochement in Russia-Turkey Relations and its impact on

the Cyprus Question

Speaker:

Muhittin Tolga ÖzsaĞlam

Political Science

 

Thursday, 28 February 2013

7:00 p.m.

Room A008, Old Campus

University of Cyprus

Abstract:

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkish foreign policy makers saw the post-Soviet sphere as an opportunity to increase the influence of Turkey in the framework of the cultural ties with the new post-Soviet states. Therefore, the competition between Russia and Turkey in the post-Soviet sphere (Caucasus and Central Asia) was inevitable. The discourse and practices of Turkish politicians, like Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel or Tansu Çiller, were expansionist and created problems in Russian-Turkish relations until the mid-1990s. Later on, Russian foreign policy-makers started to consider the importance of the benefits of a rapprochement in Russian-Turkish relations. The two countries noticed the importance of economic co-operation between them. Eventually, Russia and Turkey developed a complex interdependence on the economic sphere, in various sectors, like those of energy, tourism, trade and agriculture. Therefore, both countries came to treat each other’s vulnerabilities carefully. Although they have different attitudes on issues like Syria, Abkhazia, S. Osetia and Cyprus (their positions on the Cyprus Question are contradictory), they pursue a policy of co-operation, especially in the energy sector, and such differences do not affect negatively their bilateral relations, which follow a path towards a multi-dimensional partnership.

Short CV:

Muhittin Tolga Özsağlam was born in Nicosia in 1974 and after his undergraduate studies (Ba 1997) continued his studies at the Department of International Relations, Hacettepe University-Ankara (Ma 2000). He received his PhD on Russia and Central Asia affairs from the Marmara University-İstanbul in 2006. During his Phd research period, Özsağlam learned the Russian language and made his research at the St.Petersburg State University in St.Petersburg-Russia. He research interests focus on Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia issues. Özsağlam also involves on the activities of the civil society organizations and writing as a columnist about foreign affairs on a daily newspaper. He knows Turkish, English and Russian languages. He also speaks Greek.

 

Thursday, 28 February 2013

7:00 p.m.

Room A008, Old Campus

University of Cyprus