Edoardo Lavezzo

Research
Qualifications
Presentations and awards

Research

Title of research

Türkiye’s behaviour as a Middle Power: navigating the EU-China competition in energy diplomacy

Brief overview of research topic

Recently, Türkiye has manifested a growing assertiveness in foreign policy, evidencing a new understanding of its role and status as a middle power. While seeking a major authority and influence in the Middle East and North Africa, Ankara has come across the European and Chinese interests in its foreign policy.

What needs to be addressed currently is the conceptualisation of Türkiye's behaviour as an entrepreneurial middle power, and how this assertive behaviour has impacted on the bilateral relations with the EU and China.

The scope of my research is to investigate if Turkey has manifested a transactionalist behaviour towards the EU and China, and to what extent this assertive behaviour has allowed Türkiye to increase its role as a middle power. The research explores Ankara's bilateralism with the EU and China in the energy and trade policies.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in History (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

Master of Arts in Political Sciences (University of Manchester)

Presentations and awards

In February 2024, Edoardo presented "The impact of domestic factors on the middle power status: Examining Turkey's Presidentialism to understand how the country's domestic backlash affected the relationship with the EU" at the EDC 2024 ELECTIONS – DEMOCRACY – CRISIS Conference organised by the University of Warsaw.

Edoardo presented "Middle power & small states’ dualism with EU and China" at the 2023 Political Studies Association Early Career Network Annual Conference Political Worlds

Edoardo was awarded Best Paper in International Relations by the Political Studies Association (Early Career Network) for his paper "Middle power & small states’ dualism with EU and China"

In September 2023, Edoardo participated in the workshop on “Europe in an Uncertain World: Openness, Resilience and Vulnerabilities of Small States and Middle Powers” presenting his paper on “Turkey’s behaviour as a middle power: navigating the EU-China Competition through Transactionalism.

In April 2024, Edoardo attended the CAS/CeSeR Annual Conference University of Edinburgh, presenting the paper "Shelter theory understood by middle powers: Analysis of Turkey’s foreign policy in Libya and Somalia".

In May 2024, Edoardo attended the Kurdish Studies Conference at the University of Sheffield, presenting the paper "Turkey’s rapprochement towards China in geopolitics: Understanding security policies of the Kurdish peoples inside the Belt and Road Initiative".