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The standoff between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea presents numerous challenges for Turkey. As the only state to control the gateway into the Black Sea, the Dardanelles and Bosphorus, Ankara’s stance may have a significant impact on how the crisis and a potential military conflict plays out in the region. But Turkey will be divided between favoring the requests of its NATO allies and appeasing Russia, one of its major economic and diplomatic partners. The status of Crimean Tatars also presents a challenge for Ankara, which has emphasized the kinship aspect of its foreign policy over the last decade as a means of fostering soft power projection capabilities.
