Relationship dossier
Turkey
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Turkey’s Western Sahara policy is framed through support for Morocco and a UN-led political process.
Turkey toward Western Sahara
-15Turkey supports Morocco’s territorial integrity and has backed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a basis for resolving the Western Sahara dispute. This position conflicts with the Sahrawi independence claim, while Turkey also supports a UN-led process.
Western Sahara toward Turkey
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow 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’s position on Western Sahara is expressed mainly through its support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and a UN-led political process, rather than through direct relations with the Sahrawi authorities. Its backing for Morocco’s autonomy proposal is at odds with the Sahrawi independence claim. Western Sahara does not conduct a unified independent foreign policy, so reciprocal government conduct cannot be assessed on the same basis.
Areas of tension
- Turkey’s support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and autonomy proposal conflicts with the Sahrawi claim to independence.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and practical implications of Turkey’s support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal are unclear.
- The extent of direct contact between Turkish officials and Sahrawi authorities is unclear.