Greece's policy in the Balkans after the Cold War

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on the foreign policy of Greece in the Balkans benefiting from the theory of realism. The threat perception of the countries in the theory of realism effectively determines Greece's foreign policy, especially the Balkan policies. After the Second World War, Greece built its foreign policy on the communist threat until 1974. Following the Cyprus Problem that occurred in the same year and the democratization period in the country, Greek foreign policy was established on the Turkish threat. In order to be part of the Western System, Greece had minimalized its relations with the Balkan Countries ruled by communism. Both the Cyprus problem and the Balkan issue forced Greece to pursue a new foreign policy. The main objective of this new area totally differed from the first period. Preventing Turkey from establishing close relations with the Balkan States, and approaching Europe‟s political institutions became the priority of Greece‟s foreign policy. As a result, Greece started to establish contacts with the Balkan States. In the post-Cold War period, in the first half of the 1990s, Greece again based its policy on threat perception. However, this policy isolated the country in the international arena and in the Balkan peninsula. In the second half of the 90s, Greece modernized its foreign policy and became a powerful actor by establishing new economical networks with the Balkan states. In this new era, Greece started to follow a more active foreign policy.