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This episode of Talk Eastern Europe discusses the delicate relationship between two regional powers with ambitions for their neighbourhoods: Russia and Turkey. The two countries, which faced a serious crisis in 2015 after a Russian jet was shot down in Turkish airspace. Since then, both countries have found a common understanding even if their interests are not always aligned. How long can this relationship last?

In this episode, Maciek catches up with Dimitar Bechev a research fellow at the Center of Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies with the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council. He is also the author of a recent book titled “Rival Power. Russia’s influence in Southeast Europe”. Maciek and Dimitar pick apart the current state of relations between Russia and Turkey and discuss some challenges to the medium and long term, including the impact of coronavirus on this relationship.

Resources:
“Turkey and Russia: No Birds of the Same Feather”, Dimitar Bechev, Suat Kınıklıoğlu. SWP Report, May 2020: https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2020C24/
“Turkey’s Plans to Become a Regional Energy Giant Just Got a Boost”, By: Dimitar Bechev. Foreign Policy. 28 August 2020. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/28/turkeys-plans-to-become-a-regional-energy-giant-just-got-a-boost/

Music featured in the podcast: End Titles Extended Version (Romeos Erbe) by Sascha Ende
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3158-end-titles-extended-version-romeos-erbe-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Talk Eastern Europe is a member of the EuroPod Network https://www.bullemedia.eu/europod
Talk Eastern Europe is produced by Maciej Makulski and Adam Reichardt. The podcast is affiliated with New Eastern Europe. Published by the Jan Nowak-Jezioranski College of Eastern Europe in Wroclaw. Additional funding for this episode came from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the framework of the “Public Diplomacy 2020 – New dimension” grant programme.