As Turkey increasingly drifts from the West, we’ve seen Turkey and Russia have moved closer. In a recently published report for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a team of experts look at Russia-Turkey relations under Presidents Putin and Erdogan, where they document how the Erdogan and Putin regimes have managed to compartmentalize their relationship, mixing competition with substantial cooperation across a range of areas. The authors also offer a nuanced set of policy recommendations for the US and its transatlantic allies, highlighting how they should react to Turkey’s drift from the West under Erdogan. Aykan Erdemir and John Hardie, two of the authors of this report, join The Greek Current to break down their work, titled “Collusion or Collision? Turkey-Russia Relations Under Erdogan and Putin”. 

Dr. Aykan Erdemir is the senior director of the Turkey program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former Turkish lawmaker.

John Hardie is the research manager at FDD, and his own research focuses on Russian foreign and security policy, U.S. policy toward Russia, and transatlantic relations.

Make sure to read their report here: Collusion or Collision? Turkey-Russia Relations Under Erdogan and Putin

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