Wedge Strategy in the Great Power Competition: How Russia Attempts to Drive a Wedge in the Turkish-American Alliance

This study primarily aims to make sense of Turkish-Russian strategic rapprochement in the era of the great power competition. By using the theory of wedge strategy, the paper tries to provide a meaningful perspective on the Russia’s attempts to divide the Ankara-Washington alliance. The research revolves around the following questions: What kind of wedge strategy has Russia adopted? How effective has the Russian wedge strategy been towards the Turkey-US alliance? Which strategic objective of the wedge strategy has Russia achieved? The study concludes that Russia has pursued a reward-based wedge strategy towards the Atlantic Alliance to drive a wedge between Turkey and the US. It is argued that the Russian wedge strategy has significant implications for Turkish foreign policy such as pivotal dilemma, alliance anomaly, and strategic autonomy.