North Caucasus in Turkish-Russian relations (Opportunities and risks)

Relations between the Russian Federation and Turkey have a long history since the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, the Ottoman Empire maintained very intense social and economic relations with the Caucasus region, which is an overseas neighbor and has a strategic location. Today, the northern region of the Caucasus is included in the territory of the Russian Federation. However, historically formed socio-cultural ties, common religion, and the Circassians who forcibly migrated to Anatolian lands after the Caucasian war live in Turkey, giving Turkey-Caucasus relations a special place in Turkey-Russia relations. However, the Caucasus, which is its geo-strategic area, has since been explored in terms of the South Caucasus, which consists mainly of small free states. The North Caucasus, which represents a region in the south-west of Russia, is mostly neglected. In this study, the role and potential of the North Caucasus region of Russia on the socio-economic relations between Turkey and Russia are investigated, and suggestions are presented to strengthen these relations. Keywords: Russia, Turkey, North Caucasus, Foreign trade, International Relations