Strategic Focus on Turkey Project (SFT)

This project is designed to adopt a distinctive approach on Turkey. Most of the research and policy work undertaken on Turkey in the US and Europe concentrates either on the complications for bilateral US-Turkey relations of the US intervention in Iraq, or on Turkey’s internal economic and political developments and their impact on the negotiations over Turkey’s accession to the European Union (EU).

The dimension that appears to receive far less attention in current policy and contemporary academic discussions is Turkey’s pivotal geo-political and geo-economic position and, therefore, the impacts that Turkish policies will likely have upon the long-term stability and prosperity of the region that surrounds it.

In essence, Turkey is assessed currently in the US within the prism of Iraq and in many European capitals only as a problem that the EU needs to confront. A better understanding of how Turkey can help deal with some of the biggest geo-political and geo-economic challenges facing the US, EU and beyond will assist in building a more sophisticated comprehension of Turkey’s role as a constructive partner to the US, the EU member states and other countries.

Doğan Holding, one of Turkey’s preeminent business groups, is generously supporting this project.

Areas of focus for SFT:

• Turkey’s role in the Middle East
• Turkey’s role in establishing a diversified set of energy options for the EU
• Turkey’s role in the economic development and regional integration of the Black Sea area
• Turkey’s relationships with the Caucasus and Central Asia and political stability in the region
• Turkey’s contributions to EU and NATO-led peace-keeping missions and other security operations
• Turkey’s role as a magnet for Foreign Direct Investment and as a growing investor regionally

Advisory Board

Chatham House is forming an Advisory Board for the project. This will be composed of individuals with extensive experience and expertise from international affairs, media, civil society and business. The Board’s purpose is to provide long-term guidance to the project.

SFT Contact

The Strategic Focus on Turkey Project is run by Fadi Hakura, Associate Fellow at Chatham House. If you would like to find out more about the project, please contact:

Fadi Hakura
+44 (0)7970 172541
Email Fadi Hakura