The history of Russian-Turkish relations was long dominated by wars and rivalry but thanks to the political initiative of both countries, the two started to focus on cooperation at the beginning of the 21st century. Since then, both powers have cooperated closely in various areas and the rapid growth of political, trade, and economic contacts between Russia and Turkey over the past 15 years shows that there are indeed common interests to be found between the countries. However, their national interests have often diverged on topics ranging from the Caucasus to the Middle East and the Black Sea. The publication presents the views of Turkish and Russian researchers on the nature and prospects of Russian-Turkish relations.

The publication was prepared in cooperation with the office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Turkey.