Turkey’s role in the Western Balkans, between cooperation and competition with the European Union

Turkey’s political and economic commitment in the Western Balkans follows a precise political plan to strengthen the national Soft Power in the region, which has always been considered "the Turkish door to the European Union".

The war in Ukraine and the consequent mediation role that has seen involved in the front row, among other international players, President Erdogan has opened new opportunities for competition and cooperation with the European Union in a region increasingly contested between two different poles.

The paper aims to analyze the historical-cultural ties that bind Ankara to the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as the mechanisms that regulate the delicate relations between the European Union and Turkey itself.