Emiliano Alessandri
Emiliano Alessandri is a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Washington D.C., where he develops GMF's work on Mediterranean, Turkish, and wider-Atlantic issues. Prior to joining GMF, Dr. Alessandri was a visiting fellow at the Center on the US and Europe (CUSE) of Brookings Institution where he conducted research on European security.
Alessandri has extensive knowledge of US foreign policy and transatlantic affairs. He follows closely political and economic developments in the Mediterranean region, with a particular focus on Southern Europe. In that context, he is a frequent commentator on Turkey and Italy, his home country. He is also coordinating from Washington GMF’s research activities on the Atlantic basin.
He wrote his doctoral thesis on the intellectual origins of the idea of an “Atlantic community” under the supervision of Cambridge historian David Reynolds, of Christ’s College. He has held several positions in leading foreign-policy think tanks and academic institutions in Italy, the UK and the US. From 2008-2009 he worked in the Directorate General for Enlargement of the European Commission. He has participated in several research projects and initiatives regarding Turkey and Turkey-EU relations, including “Talking Turkey”, a joint multi-year project between IAI of Rome, TEPAV of Ankara, and Istituto Paralleli of Turin to offer recommendations for a European communication strategy for Turkey. In 2009, Alessandri was a visiting fellow at The Center for European Studies of the Middle East Technical University (CES-METU) in Ankara, where he conducted research on Turkish foreign policy in the Middle East and its impact on European perceptions of Turkey.
Alessandri is an associate fellow at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) of Rome and serves on the board of the IAI-based The International Spectator.
Dr. Alessandri was educated at the University of Bologna, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of the Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.
Blog Contributions
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News Articles
Testimony on Turkey before the Canadian SenateFebruary 06, 2013On February 6, 2013, Senior Transatlantic Fellow Emiliano Alessandri gave a testimony on Turkey before the Canadian Senate. During this meeting, Emiliano was able to provide his insight on economic and political developments in the Republic of Turkey, their regional and global influences, the resulting implications for Canadian interests and opportunities, and other matters of interest. 
Unfinished Transitions: Challenges and Opportunities of the EU’s and Turkey’s Responses to the “Arab Spring”January 25, 2013As the geopolitical implications of the Arab uprisings become clearer, the EU and Turkey should adopt a more lucid and nuanced
approach to democracy and a more explicitly political response to the “Arab Spring.”
Book Review: Turkey in the 21st Century: Quest for a New Foreign PolicyJanuary 08, 2013Turkey in the 21st Century: Quest for a New Foreign Policy is a welcome addition to the fast-growing literature in English on Turkish foreign policy.
Transatlantic Relations Four Years Later: The Elusive Quest for a Strategic VisionSeptember 14, 2012The transatlantic tensions of the Bush years are behind us but the future of transatlantic relations remains uncertain at the closing of the Obama term.
American Elections at a Time of Crisis: The Risks of IntrospectionJanuary 30, 2012Failing to see the global stakes of the next Presidential elections will be at America’s and the world’s peril.
Italian-Turkish Relations: Potential and Limits of a ‘Strategic Partnership’November 29, 2011
In this paper, published in the Spring 2011 edition of Perceptions, GMF Transatlantic Fellow Emiliano Alessandri reviews the current status of Italian-Turkish relations following the "Arab Spring" and the potential for strategic realignments in the MENA region....
Hanging Between Hope and Fear: Italians at the Heart of International CrisisOctober 25, 2011
Italy’s public opinion seems more open and daring of its political elites on some hot issues of the international agenda. Although increasingly concerned about the economic context and for the future of the European integration process, Italians seems rather optimist about stabilizing the situation in Libya and strongly in favor of promoting democracy in the Arab world, even if this entails the risk of greater short-term instability.
Commentary on “Yet NATO remains central to Turkey?s wider regional role”June 23, 2011Sinan Ülgen’s argument that Turkey is ‘broadening its reach’ as opposed to ‘turning its back on the West’ is a welcome distinction, and one which helps us more accurately to grasp the new trends in Turkish foreign policy while refocusing the debate away from ideology towards strategy. 
Turkey’s Global StrategyJune 07, 2011After nearly a decade in power, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has grown increasingly confident in its foreign policy, prompting observers to wondered aloud whether the country might be leaving "the West," forcing that group to confront the question "who lost Turkey?"
Turkey’s Future Reforms and the European UnionMay 24, 2011The European Union (EU) has played a critical role in Turkey’s reform process since the end of the Cold War but over time it has become less central a factor in Turkey’s internal transformation. The goals of “Europeanization” and “democratization” are no longer fully intertwined and the ruling elite seems to be focused on power consolidation just as much as on democratic consolidation. 
Iran and Turkey After Egypt: Time for Regional Realignments?April 19, 2011Both Iran and Turkey have a major stake in how the political landscape in North Africa and the Middle East is reshaped in the months ahead. While regional uprisings (with the possible exception of a resurgence of Kurdish separatism) do not necessarily threaten the stability of the Turkish state, Iran is experiencing its own waves of protests.
The Turkish model tested by the Arab RevolutionsMarch 20, 2011GMF's Emiliano Alessandri suggests that while Turkey can be a source of inspiration for the reform movements in the Arab world, regional leadership emanating from Ankara might not be the logical consequence of democratization in the region.
Transatlantic Relations at Midterm: Not All BadNovember 06, 2010Most Europeans simply do not understand why American voters have so soon lost faith in a leader who in so many areas, from the economy to diplomacy, has worked to redress the difficult legacies of the Bush era, restoring America’s influence, image and credibility as a leader in Europe and around the world.
Democratization and Europeanization in Turkey After the September 12 ReferendumOctober 21, 2010The recent reform of the Turkish constitution makes Turkey a more democratic country according to European Union standards. This does not mean, however, that Turkey is automatically closer to its goal of EU membership as a result of the September 12 referendum. Publications
The Future of Mediterranean Europe: Between the Euro Crisis and Arab RevolutionApril 16, 2013This policy paper looks at a Southern Europe that is increasingly disillusioned with and more openly critical of both their national governments and the EU.
Turkey-EU Relations: Back to Basics?February 27, 2013This policy brief examines the possibilities of re-energized accession talks between Turkey and the EU.
A Deeper and Wider AtlanticFebruary 06, 2013While there is no strategic imperative to think ‘pan-Atlantic’, there is very much a functional advantage in doing so. As argued by Ian Lesser, functional interaction is a fully acceptable – and indeed a desirable – driver for wider Atlantic cooperation.Trade and investment imbalances, energy and environmental issues, counterterrorism, antipiracy, maritime security, all these are challenges of transnational, even ‘transregional’ concern. Countries along the Atlantic rim can only benefit from greater coordination on these matters.
China and India: New Actors in the Southern AtlanticNovember 29, 2012This policy paper examines the role of China and India in Latin America and Africa, and the implications for the United States and Europe.
The Changing Landscape of the Arab World and Implications for the EU and TurkeyNovember 15, 2012This policy brief summarizes discussions from a recent workshop with participants from the EU, Turkey, the United States, and the Middle East.
Turkey’s Transformation and Its Future Influence: A Critical LinkOctober 18, 2012This policy brief looks at how Turkey is responding to domestic and international pressures.
Beyond the “Broader West” Debate: What Will Turkey Stand for?June 14, 2012This policy brief looks at Turkey's position vis-à-vis the West.
What Next for NATOMay 23, 2012This policy brief looks at current and future challenges for NATO from a variety of perspectives.
The Missing Transatlantic Link: Trilateral Cooperation in the Post-Ottoman SpaceMay 17, 2012This policy brief argues for trilateral cooperation between the EU, the U.S., and Turkey.
Morocco’s New Geopolitics: A Wider Atlantic PerspectiveFebruary 10, 2012This study argues that Morocco should encourage policymakers in the United States and Europe to think more imaginatively about its role in the Atlantic and elsewhere.
Greater Alignment, Yet Separate Paths?December 08, 2011This policy brief asks if the relationship between Turkey and the EU bound to be marked by a high degree of alignment but only limited convergence....
In the Wake of the Revolutions: Rethinking Mediterranean Security and StrategyNovember 22, 2011In this Mediterranean Strategy Group paper, Emiliano Alessandri outlines the rapidly evolving strategic environment of the Mediterranean region,including new priorities and challenges for the transatlantic community.
Turkey’s Emergence as a Middle Eastern Stakeholder and What this Means for the WestOctober 10, 2011
Turks, Europeans, and Americans Debate Power and ProsperityAugust 10, 2011
The fourth meeting of the Trilateral Strategy Group was held in Istanbul, May 25-27, 2011, on the theme of Perspectives on Power and Prosperity...
Turkey and the West Address the Arab SpringJune 08, 2011This brief summarizes discussions at the “EU, Turkish, and U.S. Responses to the Arab Spring: Exploring Synergies in a Transatlantic Context” conference in May 2011.
What Moroccan Model? Moroccan Reform and New Regional PerspectivesMay 13, 2011This policy brief explores the current role of Morocco in the Arab world.
Beyond Enlargement? European Skepticism, Turkish Cynicism, and the Uncertain Future of EU-Turkey RelationsFebruary 24, 2011This policy brief examines the current attitudes toward Turkey joining the EU, both from within Turkey and from the EU.
Maritime Commerce and Security in the Mediterranean and Adjacent Waters – Summary ReportDecember 22, 2010This report summarizes the main issues on maritime commerce and security debated during the fourth meeting of the Mediterranean Strategy Group, held in Genoa, on October 24 -26, 2010.
The European Commission’s 2010 “Progress Report” and Real Progress in Turkey-EU RelationsNovember 16, 2010Two issues may help to provide a better grasp of the problem of whether Turkey will eventually decide to go it alone in world affairs: the recent reform of the Turkish Constitution and the evolution of Turkish foreign policy.
