Turkey's relations with the Balkan States during the period of Adnan Menderes (1950-1960)

After World War I, the influential factor in Turkey's foreign policy towards the Balkans was the preservation of the post-Lausanne status quo. During the Atatürk era, with the rise of fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany, efforts were made to enhance regional security through the development of bilateral relations with Balkan states, culminating in the Balkan Entente. However, this entente, which proved insufficient in preventing the outbreak of World War II and lacked in defense capabilities, lost its validity during the war. Following World War II, with the international system becoming bipolar, the Balkans were included in bloc politics. During Adnan Menderes's tenure, Turkey played a significant role among regional alliances by joining NATO through its participation in the Korean War. During this period, Turkey sought to act as a deterrent against the Soviet Union by entering into alliance systems in the Balkans and the Middle East. Under Adnan Menderes, Turkey's general foreign policy was predominantly oriented towards the West. The main reasons for this orientation were the increasing threats and territorial claims from the Soviet Union, as well as its efforts to spread communism in the Balkans and the Middle East. Turkey and Greece, as in the Atatürk era, engaged in cooperation efforts in the Balkans during this period. They signed the Balkan Pact, including Yugoslavia. However, the pact remained on paper due to the Cyprus Issue between Turkey and Greece, the events of September 6-7, and the changing Yugoslav foreign policy after Stalin. Although Romania proposed the Stoica Plan in 1957 and 1959, Turkey and Greece did not approve it.