This paper is focused on the ongoing populism wind in Europe and power struggle with Russia over European peninsula. In the paper, a comparative perspective on the populist movements in Europe and Russian pressure on Baltics states will be provided in order to reveal the contemporary challenges to the stability in Europe. Interrelationship between populism and rising terrorist incident in Europe will be discussed in the light of recent elections and terrorist incidents in Europe. Moreover, impact of Russian aggressiveness specifically on Baltic region will be evaluated in the light of American increasing deployment in the Baltic Sea and Europe. Such threats will be evaluated both as an opportunity and/or challenge for increasing efforts on building a European security armor. Current situation and also prospect in the region will be evaluated together with diverse perspectives on the challenges in the region and the efficiency of counter-terrorism policies and platforms for dialogue with Russia like NATO-Russia Council, G7 etc. In the paper, current power struggle is also called as struggle between status quo and change with regard to order in the region with the increasing involvement of state (Russia) and non-state actors (terrorist organizations).
Key Words: Counter-terrorism, Europe, International Cooperation, NATO, Non-state actor, Russia, Security, Terrorism, USA
Filiz Katman (filizkatman@aydin.edu.tr)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Filiz Katman holds BS degree on Economics (in English) from Istanbul University, MA degree on Political Science and International Relations (in English) from Marmara University, PhD degree on International Security and Terrorism, certificates from Yale University Program on War, Conflict and Order, University of Oxford Changing Character of War Programme, NATO International School, NATO Centre of Excellence on Defense Against Terrorism. Currently, Katman is Executive Board President at Energy Politics and Markets Research Center (EPPAM), Editor in Chief at EPPAM Policy Brief and also Faculty Member at Department of Political Science and International Relations (in English) at Istanbul Aydin University. She has been Senior Fellow at Centre for Syrian Studies at University of St Andrews since 2015. She is recipient of several awards and scholarships on personal and project basis in domestic and international arena. She has several articles and books on energy policy and energy security, terrorism, security, political violence, cyber threats, Caucasus, Eurasia, NATO. She is expert at BBC World News, Member of TOBB Istanbul Women Entrepreneurs Council and Energy Business Council at Foreign Economic Relations Council.