Turkish-Greek rivalry in the Balkans: An analysis in the Post-Cold War context

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the Turkish-Greek rivalry vis-avis/over third, parties in the Balkans. The rivalry is a product of post-Cold Warperiod and has added a new dimension to the Turkish-Greek relations.Turkey and Greece are in a rivalry to lead the Balkans in accordancewith the changing conditions in post-Cold War years. Although thiscompetition is a post-Cold War period product, historical enmity and existenceof bilateral problems have caused Turkey and Greece to find themselves in therivalry in the Balkans. In the interwar period, they were fatigue of war thatprevented them to compete on the Balkans. Throughout the Cold War' years,Turkey and Greece left aside national interests concerning to the Balkans andsubordinated them to the global scale interests of collective defence systems.Instead of regional scale rivalries, the global East-West rivalry was the shapingfactor regulating the world politics.The end of bipolar political system in world system have assisted bothcountries to turn their attention to the Balkans. The concept of rivalry referringto the dimension of Turkish-Greek relations in the Balkans has a differentmeaning. It is different from the general definition of the concept that refers tomilitarized disputes between two countries. However, the rivalry in TurkishGreekrelations is used to denote a competition between two countries indiplomatic, economic, and cultural fields vis-a-vis the third parties. In thiscontext, Turkey and Greece shape their foreign policies concerning the Balkansby taking into consideration national interests as well as the ongoing rivalrybetween themselves.