SPECIFICITY OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

NUMANOVIĆ DULJEVIĆ Birsena (Birsena Numanović Duljević, Nezavisni Univerzitet Banja Luka, Srednja škola „Nikola Tesla” Novi Pazar), duljevicbirsena@gmail.com

The Republic of Turkey is a transcontinental country that acquired the status of a regional power in Southeastern Europe and Central Asia in the last two decades. The positioning of the Republic of Turkey in international relations is quite controversial, given the burden of its historical heritage, frequent military coups, and efforts to impose itself as a hegemon on the entire Muslim world. As a member of NATO, with US nuclear weapons stationed and the second largest army in that alliance, the Republic of Turkey has unsuccessfully applied for membership in the European Union for six decades. Its contemporary international position is characterised by manoeuvres between the Russian Federation and the US, conflicts with Iran, Syria, and Armenia, the provision of military and humanitarian aid to Azerbaijan in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the latent role of mediator in peace negotiations in the conflict in Ukraine. The measured approach of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in international relations contributed to the reduction of tensions in the Western Balkans, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the area of Raška, which resulted in the strengthening of relations with the Republic of Serbia.

Keywords: Republic of Turkey, international position, European integration, EU, NATO, Russian Federation, USA