South East Europe currently finds itself confronted with numerous external crises, including the Eurozone, the refugee influx, crises in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods, as well as internal political, constitutional or economic. In SEESOX’s Hilary term Seminar Series, we wish to look at how the region has been coping or not coping with these multiple crises and what domestic developments or strategies may either prevent or enable appropriate political responses. The seminar series will address some of the acute problems affecting Europe, as seen especially from a South Eastern European perspective, and combine the thematic (refugee, economic and political crises) with the country specific approaches.

Turkey is currently facing multiple crises. The country is not only the entry point for most of the refugees seeking a better future in Europe but, as most recent quarrels with Russia demonstrate, also an important geopolitical player in the Middle East. At the same time, its government increasingly acts in an autocratic fashion. Ziya Meral will provide an overview of the seismic domestic and foreign policy challenges in Turkey and assess the reaction of the AKP government to them. He will provide suggestions on the future direction of Turkey and key trends that will play a central role in shaping the country’s future.