Özet:

This paper attempts to explore the major regional political and economic cooperation initiatives that appeared in the southeast corner of the European continent. It briefly examines the rationale behind each one and then looks into Turkish foreign policy about regional cooperation in the Balkans in three periods: the interwar period, the Cold War period and the post-Cold War period. Finally, this study attempts to offer an assessment of these regional initiatives. The paper covers the period from the immediate aftermath of the World War I to today. The political, economic and social conditions prevailing in Europe at the time of each initiative are not touched upon in detail. Similarly, this study does not elaborate on the domestic developments of the countries concerned. Today, integration with the Euro-Atlantic security structures is also high on the agenda of most Balkan countries. There are cooperation efforts in the area of security, like the meetings of defence ministers and the establishment of a multinational Balkan Force. It goes without saying that these initiatives strengthen the idea of cooperation and help the overall atmosphere of confidence in the region. However, this aspect has been left outside the scope of this study for reason of brevity.

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