Understanding Russian and Turkish State-National Interests in the Syrian Conflict through the Neo-Realism Paradigm

Abstract

The study is devoted to the analysis of Russian-Turkish interaction in the Syrian conflict under neo-realism concept. The Syrian crisis has become a kind of Russian-Turkish relations “barometer” in recent years. On the Syrian battlefield, Moscow and Ankara as unitary and rational actors both try to increase their relative power, which enables them to achieve their objectives mainly connected with prospects for national interests. The detailed analyses of the Russian-Turkish diplomatic negotiations and dynamics of joint military-political activities lead to the conclusion that despite competing for military-strategic, energy and geopolitical interests, both parties opt to jointly balance against common challenges. Being aware of the mutual necessity and adhering to the principles of “realpolitik”, Russia and Turkey prefer to negotiate and act within the framework of widespread interests, where real and potential mutual benefits prevail over disagreements.