Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Spring 2019

Fri, 31 May 2019 20:01:00 GMT

This issue of Insight Turkey aims at analyzing the above mentioned issues and provide to its readers a general framework of the most important and current events in the Balkans.

The Proposed Territorial Exchange between Serbia and Kosovo

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:06:00 GMT

Serbia and Kosovo have initiated a process of territorial exchange that could have serious repercussions, both in the Western Balkans and internationally. Historically speaking, territorial exchanges have a mixed record. In some instances, these projects have inaugurated periods of protracted cooperation and reconciliation. However, on a number of occasions, such agreements have had devastating consequences and have led to carnage, violence, and ethnic cleansing. Whereas Serbia and Kosovo have the sovereign and democratic right to engage in a genuine dialogue and decide on adjustments to their borders, it is important for the international community to pay close attention to the dynamics of the process and to consider the stability and security of the wider region should this project materialize.

The Role of Croatia in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Antemurale Christianitatis as a Policy of Choice

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 18:30:00 GMT

The commentary deals with the history of Croatian interference in BiH in the context of the place that BiH and its Muslims hold in the development of the Croatian national narrative. The pattern based on the myth of Croatia as the “bulwark of Christianity” and “nesting Orientalism” can be identified as underpinning Croatian national and foreign policy in BiH. Croatia is still pursuing its ambitions in BiH under the guise of membership in the EU and NATO and is likely to continue to do so, especially in the absence of a comprehensive political strategy of both organizations for BiH and the region of former Yugoslavia in general.

The Macedonia Name Dispute: A Few Drivers and Spoilers of Success

Thu, 02 May 2019 14:30:00 GMT

In June 2018, after 27 years of negotiations, the governments of Macedonia and Greece signed an agreement to resolve the so-called ‘name dispute’ over the use of the term ‘Macedonia’ in the name of the country Macedonia. The agreement put an end to one of the longest regional disputes and is expected to unblock Macedonia’s integration into NATO and the EU, where Greece had vetoed its membership since 2008. However, the full success of the agreement is still uncertain, with persistent domestic resistance in both countries and a challenging regional and geopolitical context.

Turkey’s Balkan Policy and Its Skeptics

Fri, 31 May 2019 11:45:00 GMT

During the last decades, in parallel to its economic growth and foreign policy activism, Turkey has become an important regional actor in the Balkans. Turkey’s activism has led to different reactions both from inside and outside the region. Skeptical views regarding Turkey’s intentions are occasionally expressed in the international media. The skeptics’ mostly voiced claim is that Turkey is undermining the Balkans’ stability and Euro-Atlantic integration. Yet Turkey’s approach to the region does not provide a justifiable basis for these claims.

Republic of Macedonia or North Macedonia?

Fri, 31 May 2019 13:07:00 GMT

Before Macedonia even became an independent state, Greece objected to its existence under such a name. The Greek challenge to the name, ‘Republic of Macedonia’ is a smokescreen over Greek objections to the very existence of the Macedonian state and nation. The freeing up of the Macedonian accession process into the EU and NATO should never undermine the right of the nation to its own existence. The Prespa Agreement, while ostensibly resolving the ‘name dispute,’ has disturbing ramifications for the interpretation of Macedonian history, Macedonian identity, and Macedonian language and culture.

The European Crisis and Turkey’s Unpredictable Role in the Balkans

Fri, 31 May 2019 14:26:00 GMT

This paper discusses Turkey’s role in the Balkans as part of the broader narrative of European integration. ‘Europeanization’ in the early 2000s was a political platform that was instrumental in allowing Turkey to forge a peace between the country’s established elite and moderate political Islam. In the context of Turkey’s alienation from the project of European integration, the relationship between Europe and Turkey is becoming narrowly transactional and there is no longer a ‘community building’ dynamic. Instead, the region emerges as a canvas of competing influences and mutually exclusive choices between Ankara and Brussels that ultimately contribute to ‘Balkanization.’

China’s Investment in the Balkans under the Belt and Road Initiative: A Chinese Perspective

Fri, 31 May 2019 15:18:00 GMT

China’s investment in the Balkan region has been maintaining good momentum in recent years, with preferential investments being in the infrastructure and energy sectors. In order to achieve high profits and build-up their business experiences, Chinese enterprises are taking high risks, and at the same time, most enterprises are trying to find more investment spaces, making full use of their advantages. However, in spite of the increase in Chinese investment, the real influence China has imposed on this region should not be over exaggerated.

Albanian Slide: The Roots to NATO’s Pending Lost Balkan Enterprise

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:50:00 GMT

Since the end of the 1990s, Albanians in North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia have submitted to a regime of political and economic austerity in return for access to the European Union. The heavy costs, from economic decline, deadly pollution, and political corruption have translated into years of frustrations. These frustrations have exposed a political failure that extends from the region to the United States and Brussels. The resulting political turmoil will soon turn violent as the global economic downturn puts strains on Albanians sliding further away from their untrustworthy EU/U.S. allies. These afflicted relations may also highlight enduring tensions within the larger NATO alliance as American unilateralism continues to strain the divergent interests of key European partners.

(Ir)relevance of Croatian Experience for Further EU Enlargement

Fri, 31 May 2019 13:34:00 GMT

Croatia’s experience of the EU accession and that of its six-year membership is only partially relevant for the Western Balkans’ EU enlargement. This is contrary to the official narrative used by the European Commission and Croatian officials. The Commission explains that Croatia’s accession attests that the whole of the Western Balkans can one day join the EU. Moreover, Croatia says that EU enlargement in the Western Balkans is in its national interest. However, liberal regression in Croatia shows why in future enlargements more emphasis needs to be placed on entrenchment of liberal values. Croatia advocates enlargement, but its capacity to influence the EU or its will to constructively contribute to progress in the Western Balkan are limited.

Russia in the Balkans: Great Power Politics and Local Response

Fri, 31 May 2019 14:47:00 GMT

The present paper looks into the current policies of Russia in the Balkans. It argues that after a short period of withdrawal from the region, Moscow is currently making efforts to regain its position and, in some sense, it has been a quite successful come-back. Russia has enhanced its economic presence, political clout, and symbolic influence in some of the countries of the region. However, Russia’s present return to the Balkans is of a quite different nature than its past engagement there as Moscow has now moved to a more assertive foreign policy. The paper also looks at the response of the Balkans countries to Moscow’s policies. It argues that the Balkans countries have adopted a more pragmatic approach to relations with Russia and as a result, Russia and these countries are in the process of finding a new, workable modus operandi for their interaction.

Turkey and Germany in the Balkans: Competing with Each Other?

Fri, 31 May 2019 15:27:00 GMT

This paper aims to see whether there is a commercial and financial rivalry between Turkey and Germany in the Balkans by examining the export volumes, exported items, and foreign direct investments of these two countries to five Balkan countries. Our findings show that the commercial competition between Turkey and Germany in the Balkans is not serious. However, as the export growth of Turkey in the region continues to increase as it has done in the last two decades, Turkey has the potential to be a serious competitor to Germany in electrical goods and appliances, motor vehicles parts and components, power generating machinery and vehicles, metal articles, specific and general industrial machines, and plastics.

The Western Balkans in the Transatlantic Security Context: Where Do We Go from Here?

Fri, 31 May 2019 15:28:00 GMT

The Western Balkans has traditionally held vital geostrategic importance for European and transatlantic security. Ever since the 1990s, the EU and the NATO have maintained an active presence in the region, and pursued goals of stability and peace. Since the 2000s, the Euro-Atlantic actors have sought an eventual integration of the countries in the region into transatlantic structures. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary situation in the Western Balkans, examining the regional countries’ prospects for Euro-Atlantic integration and the implications of the latest developments for transatlantic security. It makes the argument that NATO accession acts as a prelude to eventual EU accession, ensuring that the countries stay the course of engaging in reforms and contributing to Euro-Atlantic security while confirming their commitment to democracy.

Prospects for Trilateral Relations between Turkey, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Fri, 31 May 2019 16:32:00 GMT

This paper aims to evaluate the trilateral relations between Turkey, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the course of a proper evaluation of the growing dynamics of diplomatic relations between these three countries, it is important to assess relations at the presidential and ministerial levels. The research analyzes official statements, declarations, and agreements that envision the tripartite mechanism. Besides putting these official statements, declarations, and agreements into perspective, the research aims to assess the major implications, activities, and results of trilateral relations. It is significant to determine to what extent trilateral relations affect diplomatic relations, regional stability, regional cooperation, tourism, trade, and economic relations. This paper also aims to put the trilateral relations into perspective by explaining constructive and proactive Turkish foreign policy in the Balkans.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia as Theo-political Actors in the Balkans: The Case of Bulgaria

Fri, 31 May 2019 17:16:00 GMT

Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been increasingly utilizing religious services as an instrument in their foreign policies. One of the most recent examples of such active engagement can be seen in Bulgaria. While Turkey has used its shared history and culture with Muslims in Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia has focused more on spreading its national religious identity, Wahhabism Considering these increasing endeavors, this study will focus on how and why the two countries have become active players in the religious sphere in Bulgaria. The study will try to explain the motivations behind such activities and address the impact of this activism on Bulgarian society. The study also aims to reveal motivations, methods and instruments that were utilized in this competition.

The Crisis of Global Capitalism as the Harbinger of De-globalization

Wed, 22 May 2019 11:08:00 GMT

At no other time in the history of the world has the crisis in the global economy become a serious concern as it is currently the case. The promise of globalization at its inception, which was widely expected by both developed and developing countries as the resultant outcome of a process that would promote beneficial interdependence among countries of the world, seems to be ebbing and fizzling away in contemporary times.

Salman’s Legacy: The Dilemmas of a New Era in Saudi Arabia

Wed, 22 May 2019 12:54:00 GMT

The turbulent changes witnessed in Saudi Arabia ever since the appointment of Mohhamad Bin Salman (MBS) as the Crown Prince has shifted the focus on King Salman’s regime and the challenges ahead.

Cycles in US Foreign Policy Since the Cold War

Wed, 22 May 2019 12:54:00 GMT

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. has confronted a very broad spectrum of problems. The return of great power rivalries with a rising China, a resurgent Russia, and a self-reliant European Union have changed the international environment. Furthermore, nuclear weapons, energy dependence, and regional problems in the Middle East and Africa are now viewed differently, and America has not been a bystander in this changing environment.

Amerikan Grand Stratejisi: Obama’nın Ortadoğu Mirası [American Grand Strategy: Obama’s Middle East Legacy]

Wed, 22 May 2019 13:10:00 GMT

Although many actors, from regional powers to global powers, engage in grand strategy practices, the concept of ‘grand strategy’ is most closely identified with the United States. U.S. Presidents have put forward various grand strategies by taking into consideration regional conjectures, threats, aims, and domestic political developments.

Journey into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Identity

Wed, 22 May 2019 13:20:00 GMT

Journey into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Identity is the last installment of a four-volume series written by Prof. Akbar Ahmed. The text is composed of three parts and nine chapters. It starts by outlining the historical presence of Islam in Europe and continues elaborating theoretical discussions about modernity and tribalism in respect to the (re)construction of European identity and the formation of nations from ancient times to the present.

The Limits of Neoliberalism: Authority, Sovereignty and the Logic of Competition

Wed, 22 May 2019 13:35:00 GMT

During the late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, neo-liberalism first emerged as a reaction to the worldwide recession, and is associated with the retrenchment and privatization of the welfare state. The main aspects of neo-liberalism can be explained in terms of open, competitive, and unregulated markets; a liberated state in terms of all its forms.

Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography

Wed, 22 May 2019 14:09:00 GMT

The Muqaddima (Prolegomena) is the main work that made Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) eminent not only in historiography, civilization studies, anthropology, and sociology, but also in philosophy, economy, demography, and other fields of study.

What Is the Sharia?

Wed, 22 May 2019 14:21:00 GMT

Relevant to contemporary times when Sharia, generally referred to as Islamic law, has been associated with numerous negative connotations –ranging from anti-women, homophobic and cruel– Baudouin Dupret’s What is the Sharia? is a timely treatise which offers clarification of sharia as a concept.

Transformation of Political Islam in Turkey: Causes and Effects

Wed, 22 May 2019 14:31:00 GMT

In Transformation of Political Islam in Turkey: Causes and Effects, Hakan Köni focuses on Turkish Political Islam’s (TPI) transformation in terms of the movement’s understanding of secularism and foreign policy. While the structure of the book is quite comprehensive in that it begins with the late Ottoman era, the author focuses on the era between 1960 and 2012.

The Emergence of Kantian Culture in Turkish Foreign Policy (1980-2012): A Holistic Constructivist Approach

Wed, 22 May 2019 14:44:00 GMT

There is hardly a more thought-provoking subject in the contemporary political history of Turkey than the country’s transforming state identity vis-à-vis its reflection over the changing foreign policy direction and apparatuses. At this crux, the increasing influence of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on the state’s already shifting ideological orientation has been a remarkable case to tease out.

Starve and Immolate: The Politics of Human Weapons

Wed, 22 May 2019 15:04:00 GMT

The category of political prisoners has rarely been discussed as a theoretical and philosophical concept. However, the book under review tries to fill that gap by presenting a nuanced theoretical perspective on political prisoners. Starve and Immolate: The Politics of Human Weapons is a meticulous articulation of the Turkish state’s checkered history of treating dissent by testing the endurance of political prisoners in supermax solitary confinement F-type prisons.