August 2023
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30 Reads
Under the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Western Balkans’ direction in the Turkey’s foreign policy obtained peculiar significance. In the 2010s, the Turkish officials commenced to accomplish major trade, economic, culturalhumanitarian expansion in the region. After the start of the Special Military Operation, Turkey launched to promote itself as a diplomatic facilitator in order to resolve political issues, covering the Western Balkan region. Turkey strengthens not only its traditional components of foreign policy, but is currently ready to become an appointed mediator in the settlement of political disputes in the region. Nevertheless, in 2020-2021, Turkey commenced to take the first steps as a credible facilitator. The purpose of the paper is to study Turkey’s foreign policy towards the Western Balkans in the COVID-19 pandemic. The article also deals with the official visits of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Western Balkan States after the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.