Abstract
This article examines the expansionist agendas of Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán and Turkish President Erdoğan, focusing on their alliance in the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States. The article explores their shared irredentist strategies, using maps to symbolize territorial ambitions. Orbán's "Eastern opening" aligns Hungary with Turkic nations, reviving historical claims lost post-Trianon. Erdoğan seeks regional hegemony but faces skepticism from Balkan democracies favoring European values. The piece scrutinizes their impact on Bosnia and Herzegovina, where both leaders exploit crises for personal gain, threatening the EU's southeastern border. Orbán and Erdoğan's parallel authoritarianism, support for regional autocrats, and exploitation of anti-EU sentiments draw comparisons. The article concludes by cautioning against expecting these autocrats to play constructive roles in international diplomacy, emphasizing the risks posed by their expansionist agendas to regional stability and Bosnia and Herzegovina's unity.
| Translated title of the contribution | Two Maps: Balkans at the Forefront of Orbán and Erdoğan's Unabashed Expansionism |
|---|---|
| Original language | Multiple languages |
| Journal | Novi Plamen |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Apr 2022 |
| MoE publication type | E1 Popularised article, newspaper article |
Keywords
- Turkey
- Turkish Foreign Policy
- Hungary
- authoritarianism
- Turkey and the Balkans
- Balkans
- Bosnia