The U.S.–Türkiye–EU Triangle: Between Tensions and Cooperation?

Discussion about new power dynamics between the US, Türkiye and the EU

The USA under Donald Trump and Türkiye are increasingly acting as parallel dealmakers, driven less by ideals and more by interests, while the EU is becoming more sidelined. Not how deals are made, but who gets to make them is now in the focus. In this panel, we will explore if there is still room for long-term alignment. Or have short-term bargains replaced deeper cooperation? Can the EU regain relevance as an actor dedicated to peace and cooperation in Europe? How does the transatlantic shift define the relationship between the EU, the US, and Türkiye? What do nationalism, shifting alliances, and strategic fatigue mean for the future of this uneasy triangle?

This panel is the highlight of this year’s Vienna Peace and Security Talks with a special focus on Türkiye. To better understand the country's role in the international system and its complex position within the evolving European security order, the conference examines this strategically important actor in closer detail.

Welcome

Sascha Obrecht
Director of the Karl-Renner-Institut, Vienna

Discussants

Sinem Adar
Associate at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at SWP, Berlin

Reinhard Krumm
Director of the US and Canada office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Washington DC

Amanda Paul
Deputy Head of the Europe in the World Programme at the European Policy Centre, Brussels

Ahmet Sözen
Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta

Moderation

Christos Katsioulis
Head of FES Regional Office for International Cooperation, Vienna

Die Diskussion in englischer Sprache findet in Kooperation mit dem FES Regional Office for International Cooperation in Wien und dem International Institute for Peace (IIP) statt.