STUDY PEACE AND SECURITY COOPERATION, COMPETITION AND STRATEGIC BALANCING The Complexity of Türkiye – China Relations Ceren Ergenç, Derya Göçer May 2024 Focusing on strategic autonomy, Turkish foreign policy has become proactive recently, balancing relations with China along tensions, collaboration and competition. Turkish-Chinese relations are shaped by economic cooperation, international orders, and the Uyghur issue. Yet, they are challenged by Türkiye’s domestic politics, its ties to EU and NATO, as well as attractive regional alternatives. Both countries may deepen their ties via Chinese investments and their shared view on the Gaza conflict. Still, relations between both countries will remain complex, casting claims of Turkish “dependency” on China in doubt.