Tensions between Turkey and other NATO member states, such as France and Greece, rose again last summer due to Turkeys search for natural gas in the contested Exclusive Economic Zones of Cyprus and due to an incidence near the libyen coast, when a turkish navy vessel aimed several times at a french frigate with its fire-control radar. These incidents indicate that Turkey is willing to stand up for its interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond. But what does that mean for the relations to its Nato partners? How intense are the confrontations within NATO regarding Turkey? Are the incidents exaggerated by media and politics or are they existential problems? What are the main interests of the involved parties?  What are possible outcomes on a long term? Which instruments may there be to cool the situation down? Or Is there even a possibility for an open conflict inside NATO?

We want to discuss these and other questions and give you some background information regarding the topic together with Dr. Günther Seufert, director of the Center for Applied Turkish Studies (CATS) at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and with Dr. Zenonas Tziarras of the PRIO Cyprus Center (PCC). Dr. Seufert holds a PhD in social sciences and worked for several years as a freelance journalist in Turkey. From 1996 – 2001 he was director of the German Orient-Institute in Istanbul and from 2004 – 2007 he was Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus in Nikosia. He has expertise in several fields such as Turkey, Cyprus and EU-enlargement policy. Mr Tziarras holds a PhD in politics and international studies. Between 2015 – 2017 he worked as Associate Lecturer in Security and Diplomacy Studies at the University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus campus. His expertise lies among others in the fields of turkish politics and foreign policy, international politics of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean as well as security and strategic studies.

The Web-Seminar will take place on April the 22nd, 2021 at 6:00 pm German Time at Zoom. It ist titled: Relationship status: It`s complicated. The relations between NATO and Turkey exemplified on the gas conflict in the eastern mediterranean. If you are interested please register by sending a message to the following email-address: halle@sicherheitspolitik.de
After registering you will receive the link to the Zoom room shortly before the talk starts.