Understanding maritime conflicts between Turkey and Russia : merits, limitations, and alternatives to realism

The recent strengthening of ties between Turkey and Russia even amid high-profile diplomatic incidents necessitates a re-evaluation of the United States’ diplomatic approach to relations with its NATO ally, Turkey. Analysis of the geopolitical dynamics between Turkey and Russia from a realist perspective provides insight into the factors that have driven Turkish and Russian actions in the past. However, the development of a more predictive model for Turkish and Russian actions requires an understanding of the foreign policy worldviews and historical precedents for conflict and cooperation between the two nations. Due to their strategic importance for imperial and modern Turkey and Russia, the Turkish Straits and Caspian Sea provide valuable insight into this dynamic. By analyzing the geopolitical and legal forces that shaped the legal regimes of these waterways, this thesis will examine the foreign policy strategies of Turkey and Russia, as well as some of the limitations of and alternatives to the realist paradigm of understanding geopolitics.