The Weight of Islam in the Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans

International audienceCould the historical role played by Turkey in the Balkans or its geographical proximity establish Turkey as pole of attraction for the Muslims in the Balkans? First, Turkey's secularism and aspiration to be recognized as a fully westernized country forbid it to raise the Muslim banner as soon as its political interests are concerned. Second, Turkey's long domination of the Balkans sets it up as a suspicious actor in the eyes of most of the countries in the area and its initiatives were carefully watched by the other Balkan countries, prompt to denounce any move on its part. Last, each of the Turkish and Muslim communities in the Balkans (Albanians, Turks in Bulgaria and in Greek Thrace, Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pomaks, etc.) has kept their own ethnic characteristics and there is no feeling of belonging to a common community. On the whole, Islam has been invoked only to justify or reinforce a pre-existing political decision and it has covered political and not religious common interests. Since 1991, it is in fact with Orthodox Russia that Turkey has developed its deepest economic relations, with Albania but as well with the Republic of Macedonia that it established the closest political and military ties, and, in the Balkans, to Romania that it extended the most credits