Relationship dossier
Turkey
Russia
Relationship assessment
Pragmatic cooperation in energy and diplomacy alongside sustained strategic competition
Turkey toward Russia
+5Turkey has maintained energy cooperation with Russia through TurkStream and the Akkuyu nuclear project. It did not join Western sanctions after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and helped broker the Black Sea grain arrangement, while supporting Ukraine and restricting passage of warships through the Turkish straits under the Montreux Convention.
Russia toward Turkey
+10Russia has pursued energy cooperation with Turkey, including construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and operation of the TurkStream gas pipeline. The two governments have also cooperated in diplomatic arrangements, including the Astana process on Syria, while their competing aims in Syria and other regional conflicts have limited alignment.
Overall relationship
+5The enduring relationship is a pragmatic but competitive one: major energy projects and selective diplomatic coordination provide substantive grounds for cooperation, while incompatible regional objectives and the war in Ukraine impose continuing strain. Neither sustained alignment nor comprehensive confrontation defines the relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and Russia combine substantial pragmatic cooperation with persistent strategic competition. Energy ties include the TurkStream gas pipeline and Russia’s construction of Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Turkey has not joined Western sanctions on Russia and facilitated the 2022 Black Sea grain deal, while also supporting Ukraine and applying the Montreux Convention to restrict warship passage through the straits. Their interests diverge over Syria and other regional conflicts.
Areas of tension
- Turkey and Russia support opposing sides and pursue competing objectives in Syria.
- Turkey supports Ukraine and does not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, while maintaining economic ties with Russia.
- Turkey and Russia have backed opposing parties in Libya.
Key developments
Construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, undertaken by Russia’s Rosatom, formally began with a groundbreaking ceremony.
TurkStream, the undersea gas pipeline connecting Russia and Turkey, was officially inaugurated.
Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations agreed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, enabling exports of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
Major uncertainties
- The future scope and implementation of Turkish-Russian energy cooperation are uncertain.
- The extent to which cooperation can be sustained amid continuing disagreements over Ukraine and Syria is unclear.