EMERGING PROBLEMS IN THE ANKARA-MOSCOW AXIS: THE SYRIAN CRISIS AND NATO MISSILE DEFENCE.

The rapid improvement of political, economic and cultural relations between Turkey and Russia during the 2000s reinforced the image that the two countries have been developing a strategic partnership with each other. However, in the light of the widening discord between Ankara and Moscow regarding the Syrian civil war and NATO missile defense issue since 2010, it has become increasingly difficult to define the Turkish- Russian relations as a strategic partnership. This article aims to explore the influence of these two current developments on the future of the Turkish-Russian relations and analyze the two countries' respective interest and threat perceptions with regard to the Syrian crisis and NATO missile defense issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]