EGF Turkey File, March — April 2016

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics

March — April 2016

By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Guest Analyst

Key Points:

• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits the American capital for a nuclear security summit, but his visit descends into chaos as protestors and supporters clash at his appearance at a Washington D.C. think tank.

• The EU and Turkey reach an agreement on the return of refugees, giving Ankara leverage in its long time goal of reaching a visa free regime for its citizens travelling to Europe and progress on its EU membership accession.

•  The Turkish Central Bank names a new governor, while the economy"s better than expected performance in late 2015 gives hope for the future.

•  Russia and Turkey reach gas price agreements despite the spat over the November 2015 downing of a Russian fighter jet, while Ankara seeks to ramp up construction progress on the TANAP Pipeline and other projects in order to diversify away from Moscow"s supply lines.