Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Spring 2022

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:06:00 GMT

While the importance of environmental security certainly is going to increase in the following years as more regional and global actors will join the fight against the climate change, it is critical to examine and understand the issue from geopolitical, economic, and legal perspectives. With that said, we are confident that this issue of Insight Turkey entitled “Rethinking Environmental Security in Türkiye and Beyond” will present timely studies regarding environmental security, a complex and increasingly important issue for Türkiye and the world.

Hotting Up? Geopolitical Rivalry and Environmental Security in the Arctic

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:32:00 GMT

Traditionally the Arctic has been on the margins of international political interest, either geopolitically or environmentally. Climate change, though, has changed this by appearing to open up new economic opportunities in the region. Interest in the High North has subsequently increased, both from the states of the region and beyond. To date, though, there has appeared no likelihood of this escalating into resource wars, despite this prospect being widely heralded a decade and a half ago. Instead, governance in the region, centered on the Arctic Council, has proved an exemplar of intergovernmental cooperation, even in the face of increased tensions between Russia and the West over the past two decades. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, though, has frozen this blossoming co-management of the High North and put its future in doubt. This is likely to have some negative consequences in terms of the environment and maritime safety in the region. However, despite a heightening of tensions, there remains little reason to expect a Russian military initiative in the region since all non-Russian territory will soon be under NATO protection and Moscow would have far more to lose than they could gain from such an act.

Climate Change and the Great Power Rivalry in the Arctic

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:50:00 GMT

The world politics of the 2020s seems to consist of two realities: People are concerned about an ecological catastrophe, as pollution kills millions and climate change threatens societies. The focus of this article is to discuss climate change, and state politics in the Arctic in the context of the two realities. Behind this is the assumption that climate change mitigation is a challenge to state politics and national security. The commentary assumes that, although in world politics, there is a new (East-West) great power rivalry with its related conflicts, no armed conflicts appear in the Arctic, but environmental degradation and rapid climate change still threaten the people. The study firstly analyses how environmental issues came onto the political agenda of States, in particular, that of the Arctic states; secondly, it discusses huge investment packages and great power rivalry as substitutes for climate change mitigation, revealing the political inability of states; thirdly, it examines the Arctic from the point of view of functional cooperation on environmental protection, and that on science; and finally, it concludes what has possibly gone wrong in state politics related to the environment, and could be taken as the biggest challenge.

The Future of Eastern Mediterranean Energy and Climate Collaboration

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:02:00 GMT

Over the last few years, the Eastern Mediterranean region has been struggling to capitalize on its natural gas resources due to several technical and financial obstacles and concerns over long-term access to markets in light of European decarbonization plans. These obstacles have been compounded by rising tensions and existing disputes between regional countries. The Russia-Ukraine war and the urgent European need to find alternative gas suppliers to reduce dependence on Russia have created a window of opportunity for regional producers to find short-term collaboration arrangements to export gas to Europe. However, this rush for market access has the potential to disrupt the region’s own energy transition to the new global economy. Alignment to grand strategies by global powers also risks undermining the regional collaboration required for climate action. Instead of prioritizing short-term gains, successful regional collaboration must focus on coordinating national energy and climate plans and developing regionally appropriate policies and solutions.

The 2021-2022 “De-Escalation Moment” in the Middle East: A Net Assessment

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:10:00 GMT

Starting the end of 2020, the Middle East has witnessed an unprecedented de-escalation among its key regional rivals. Several major players, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Israel, the UAE, and Qatar, have been reaching out to one another to reconcile and normalize relations, thus signaling a regional reset. As a result, a rare positive, constructive, and responsible trend of diplomatic engagement has been emerging, prompting the question of whether these reconciliatory and normalization processes will be a temporary situation or a new norm in the region. While investigating this question, the article discusses the rapprochement efforts, reconciliatory initiatives, and normalization processes between the key players in the Middle East from 2021 to 2022. It offers a net assessment of the situation, reviews comprehensively the diplomatic breakthroughs related to the cases in question, explains the primary motives and drivers of involved countries, and highlights the challenges that will likely encounter them. The article concludes by anticipating the prospects of these developments.

Türkiye’s Water Security Policy: Energy, Agriculture, and Transboundary Issues

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 14:47:00 GMT

Water security refers to the availability of adequate quantities and qualities of water for societal needs and resilient ecosystems in the context of current conditions and future global change. Achieving water security is directly linked to food and energy security, protecting and preserving ecosystems, and addressing key vulnerabilities and risks from climate change. Good water governance –including transboundary cooperation– is a critical feature of any effort to achieve water security. Yet the concept of water security remains abstract and broad. In an attempt to make the concept of water security-relevant in practice, this paper delineates Türkiye’s water security policy and practices through institutional and cross-sectoral (energy and food) analysis. Specific attention is paid to Türkiye’s transboundary water security policies.

Türkiye’s Climate Policy: Aligned with International Climate Politics

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 14:54:00 GMT

The aim of this article is to assess Türkiye’s national climate policy framework within the context of international climate change negotiations. Türkiye, as an emerging economy and developing country, has implemented a number of climate actions and measures and has ratified significant multilateral climate agreements, such asthe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. As a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Türkiye was put into both Annex-I and Annex-II of the UNFCCC. This starting point for climate negotiationshindered Türkiye’s earlier ratification of the UNFCCC. While negotiating under the UNFCCC, Türkiye’s EU accession process started, so Türkiye ratified the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol in 2004 and 2009, respectively. This article evaluates Türkiye’s national climate change strategy to better implement multilateral climate agreementsin the context of its national climate policy framework. In 2021, Türkiye ratified the Paris Agreement, announced consideration of being carbon neutralas one of the elements of its 2053 development plan, and revisedits institutional structure. The First National Climate Council addresses these aimsand seems to guide Türkiye’s policy recommendations. At the end of the study, policies are recommended to help Türkiye achieve its net zero emissions targets and follow a low-carbon development pathway.

Reconsidering the Effectiveness of International Environmental Regimes in the Anthropocene

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:04:00 GMT

Despite the increased number of International Environmental Regimes (IERs), gradually worsening environmental indicators have made the effectiveness of regimes a current and controversial issue. Doubtlessly, regimes are one of the most significant tools of global environmental governance. Enabling interstate cooperation, increasing knowledge about ecological problems, keeping these problems on the agenda, and providing relative improvement in some issue areas are the positive outcomes of regimes. However, IERs are institutions that are currently based on the stable and predictable earth system conditions of the Holocene Epoch. Therefore, IERs are unlikely to operate effectively under the unpredictable and unstable conditions of the new, Anthropocene era. Based on this argument, this article attempts to reveal that the effectiveness of regimes depends on their capacity to cope with the challenges of the Anthropocene. Regimes can confront these challenges by adopting a holistic earth system perspective based on the integrity of socio-ecological systems and planetary boundaries.

Why and How Did Iran’s Reformist Movement Perish? Understanding the Implications of U.S. Sanctions Policy

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:11:00 GMT

Iran’s middle class appears to be on the slippery slope, switching from its dream of political reform to the reality of economic security. This development is imbued with uncertainties and unintended consequences, including reinforcing the authoritarian impulses of the ruling elites. U.S. sanctions on Iran have weakened the country’s middle class and, with that, have dramatically undercut the voices of political moderation and change. Putting political aspirations for reform on the backburner, Iran’s middle class seeks a viable path toward living a dignified life of self-sustenance amid a period of economic drought. While U.S. sanctions are not the direct cause of this political reorientation, they have contributed greatly to such submissive attitudes. This paper attempts to unlock the socio-economic and political dynamics of this trajectory in a country whose middle class once thrived on being an engine of change and moderation. While the campaign for political reform has faded away, its message is particularly germane as the country’s middle class struggles to make ends meet.

Türkiye and the Future of Normalization in the Middle East

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:19:00 GMT

Following the Arab Spring, all the nations in the Middle East started to pursue a phase of regional softness after a protracted era of strife and rivalry. In many areas of the Middle East, the normalization agenda is being implemented in a coordinated manner based on specific concerns. For a number of reasons, Türkiye has emerged as both a participant in the brand-new normalization process in the Middle East and as a nation making an effort to regulate it. This research article attempts to elaborate on the dynamics of the normalization process ushered in by the Arab Spring and Türkiye’s role in spearheading this process with projected outcomes aimed at long term stability in the region. Overall, the pursuit of normalization is encouraging but not without flaws due to the persistence of ideological differences and conflicts of interest among regional actors and between major international powers.

Understanding Israel’s Foreign Policy from the Perspective of Identity and Security

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:25:00 GMT

The objective of this research paper is to apply an integration of two main theoretical frameworks, realism and constructivism, to explore the dynamics of Israel’s perception of threat and security policies. By employing Stacy J. Barkin’s realist constructivism, this paper signifies the importance of this approach in understanding Israel’s policy toward a major challenge: the Palestinian issue. With the help of realist constructivism, our insights into Israel’s threat perceptions and decision-making are enhanced. Thus, understanding the behavior of the Jewish state becomes less daunting. Using process tracing and discourse analysis as methodologies, the study applies two case studies to explore how identity and security perceptions shape the policy of Israel. Realists have always regarded the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example that signifies their theory. The findings of this paper debunk such an argument by proving that realist constructivism is more helpful in understanding this conflict.

A Review of Three Approaches to the Eritrean Nation as a Case for Nation before Identity

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 17:03:00 GMT

Despite the three books’ noted shortcomings, they all provide solid information on how Eritrean nationhood and identity began to form and mature and how it continues to transform through a transnational conception of the country. Such a complex national identification project cannot be forced upon the population, as was seen in the attempts of Ethiopia’s Amharization of Eritreans. The project will instead require a willful merging of the existing cultural traits of different Eritrean ethnies to create a new national Eritrean polity. In any case, the ongoing case of Eritrea provides a good case to observe how new identification becomes meaningful to form a basis for social activities that are needed for a group to be regarded as a nation.

Decentralization and Governance Capacity: The Case of Turkey

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 14:26:00 GMT

The author unpacks the important relationship among socio-economic development, local capacity, and better governance in the case of Türkiye. However, he leaves it open whether the situation observed in Türkiye is compatible with other countries or not. Nevertheless, the effort to put these complex and overlapping themes into an appropriate order should be appreciated. This study pro[1]vides a reliable reference for academics in the field. In addition to its academic value, Decentralization and Governance Capacity provides a useful reference for policymakers and bureaucrats interested in this subject.

Drones: The Brilliant, the Bad and the Beautiful

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:26:00 GMT

Drones: The Brilliant, the Bad, and the Beautiful demonstrates that although the development of drones is still in its infancy, it has both benefits and downsides for humanity. Well-rounded and easy to read, this book is a good source for readers interested in ethics, AI technology, drones, and the critical interrogation of the social, cultural, and moral issues they provoke. In addition to its academic merit, the book will be of great interest to anyone interested in engaging in extensive philosophical discussions of the implications of drone technologies.

A Critical Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:38:00 GMT

While the book traces a progressivist line from Orientalism and modernization theories, the overall approach is non-emancipatory, as it is geared toward justifying the triumphant status quo, the one that emerged from the 2011 Uprisings. The three contributors of Chapter 2 conclude that these uprisings subscribe more or less to classical bourgeois revolutions (p. 66). They may appear so, but only when flattening cause and effect, that is, when refusing to register that the uprisings initially started as incendiary, but their revolutionary momentum was crushed in consequence of the counterrevolution’s regressive policies. Thus, the book’s approach is geared towards confusing, not explaining, what indeed took place. This confusion underlines the extent to which a triumphant regime of political economy pretends to provide a critique by simply promoting capital’s counterrevolutionary moment. As underlined in this review, those researchers working on the critique of political economy will benefit from the glitches of this book. Similarly, in its focus on the true movement of history, not ideology, students of the Arab Spring will find this volume particularly rewarding.

The Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United States

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:43:00 GMT

The book can be very insightful not only for those who are working in think tanks but for any other intellectual or activist organization or project. The audience of this book might extend to the general public, as the challenges and themes repeated across the book are, evidently, part of all of our modern lives; it might be very useful for the modern individual to look at them from this organizational perspective.

Turkey: A Past against History

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:46:00 GMT

As a careful observer of modern Turkish history and domestic politics, Christine Philliou skillfully addresses the emergence and transformation of the muhalefet concept in the late Ottoman and early republican decades. Enriched with Refik Halid Karay’s relevant writings, Phillou’s research takes readers on a well-designed journey from the 1880s to the 1960s through an objective, socio-cultural prism. A Past Against History is recommended for readers and researchers on late Ottoman and early republican era politics and cultural studies.

Architectures of Violence: The Command Structures of Modern Mass Atrocities, from Yugoslavia to Syria

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:50:00 GMT

Architectures of Violence: The Command Structures of Modern Mass Atrocities by Kate Ferguson is highly recommended for researchers of violence and genocide and practitioners working to prevent such brutalities from taking place. Although readers unfamiliar with Balkan politics might find it hard to follow, through well-constructed arguments, Ferguson sets an agenda for all those interested in a more comprehensive, social-scientific approach to understanding war and conflict.

A Shared Struggle: Stories of Palestinian and Irish Hunger Strikers

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:53:00 GMT

The book’s strength lies in bringing the narrative of Palestinian and Irish hunger strikers together in a symbolic gesture that speaks of the long history of intersectional solidarity between the Palestinian and Irish peoples. The book is a must-read for those who want to learn about the prison literature in Palestine and Ireland, which are both unique and similar, and this comes as no surprise because Palestine and Ireland have been plagued by British colonialism.

Negotiating Survival: Civilian-Insurgent Relations in Afghanistan

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:57:00 GMT

Despite this analytical weakness, Negotiating Survival offers readers a brilliant glimpse into the realities on the ground and the considerations and motivations of the civilians who now find themselves under Taliban rule, as well as a new perspective on the Taliban itself. It is a must-read for students and scholars of IR, Middle Eastern Studies, and any reader interested in understanding the Afghan conflict in greater depth.

Our Bodies, Their Battlefields: What War Does to Women

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:00:00 GMT

The strength of the book lies in the fact that the author deftly contextualizes and explains the use of rape by men ‘as the easiest weapon’ 2022 Sprıng 235 with which to set up control over their opponents by targeting women. Lamb concludes that men not only fight their battles on the battlefields but also ‘over’ the bodies of women. Our Bodies, Their Battlefields urges women to rise from the exiles of their silence. Lamb provides elaborate information on sexual exploitation and identifies the multiple challenges that rape survivors face in presenting their testimony. Lamb argues that while women are the most prevalent sufferers of sexual violence, some men are the silent victims of rape and other forms of sexual abuse. Furthermore, she argues that men and women face multiple, serious challenges while addressing sexual violence and investigating torture. Based on interviews and extensive fieldwork, Our Bodies, Their Battlefields is a remarkable contribution that will help scholars working at the intersection of gender, sexuality, international politics, and terrorism. It is an important book of lasting relevance.

Small State Security Dilemma: Kuwait after 1991

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:04:00 GMT

Despite its shortcomings, Small Security Dilemma: Kuwait after 1991is worth reading to augment the scope of studies on security, small states and the Gulf region. Its compartmentalized approach to sources of small state insecurities (military, economic, social, political and environmental) and a holistic proposal to safeguard security is quite stimulating for further research. Finally, yet importantly, the clear and flowing language of the book provides an enjoyable and comprehensive reading for those who are interested in Kuwait’s security.

Web Panel | Environmental Security in Combating Climate Change

Tue, 23 May 2023 13:02:00 GMT

After the Spring 2022 Issue on Rethinking Environmental Security was released, Insight Turkey organized an online where experts discussed environmental security and climate change with a focus on cases from Turkey and beyond. As the Insight Turkey team, we hope that the panel's comments are informative and provide a better knowledge of the issues at hand. A video of the entire panel session is available on our YouTube channel