Changing responses to a frozen conflict: The Republic of Cyprus soft balancing vis-à-vis Turkey

Tensions are on the rise in the Eastern Mediterranean, calling for a careful understanding of the motivations behind the foreign policies of small and large states in the region. This article explores the motivations behind the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey’s foreign policies and their implications...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational political science review Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 15 - 30
Main Author Dursun-Özkanca, Oya
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2024
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Conflict resolution
Prospects
Regions
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Turkey
soft balancing
Cyprus
European Union
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Summary:Tensions are on the rise in the Eastern Mediterranean, calling for a careful understanding of the motivations behind the foreign policies of small and large states in the region. This article explores the motivations behind the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey’s foreign policies and their implications for conflict dynamics, illustrating the complex relationship between soft balancing and the prospects for conflict resolution, considering the spatial dynamics of multi-party conflicts. It argues that the Republic of Cyprus’ and Turkey’s changing responses influenced the very conflict itself, by pulling in more actors and thereby expanding its spatial scope. This topic has implications for the study of frozen conflicts, transatlantic security, and peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region and beyond.
ISSN:0192-5121
1460-373X
DOI:10.1177/01925121231177443