Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Fall 2020

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 14:38:00 GMT

This issue of Insight Turkey focuses on underscoring both promises of internal reconstruction and challenges fueled by different external actors intervening in the Libyan crisis. This latest issue includes five commentaries and three insightful research articles that explore the Libyan conflict from different perspectives. While some pieces focus on the role of different actors in the crisis, others analyze the reconstruction efforts.

The Protracted Civil War in Libya: The Role of Outside Powers

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 11:38:00 GMT

The collapse of the Muammar Qaddafi regime was ostensibly the prelude to a democratic Libya. The 2012 election elicited much optimism. By 2014, the domestic situation had taken an unexpected turn for the worse, resulting in two governments, one in the east and one in the west, each supported by numerous militias. While the civil war has pitted Libyans against Libyans, foreign interventions on behalf of opposite side in the conflict have hindered the end of the civil war. Indisputably, foreign interference had begun well before the civil war; however, the military backing to the protagonists has become more pronounced since 2014. The foreign powers involved in the Libyan conflict aim to fulfill specific interests, some of which deriving from the rivalries between those countries. Unless those foreign powers have achieved their goals in Libya, an end to the civil war anytime soon remains unlikely, occasional ceasefires notwithstanding.

EU Policy towards Libya

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:07:00 GMT

The Libyan crisis has been a litmus test for European unity and the EU’s ability to act together. Europe's relations with post-revolutionary Libya and European policies on Libya have been characterized by the frequently conflicting interests of Paris, London and Rome, with Berlin emerging as a result of a UN invitation to try and put an end to the instability in Libya. Until the January 2020 Berlin summit, European political and diplomatic interaction with Libya was the domain of EU Member States, with the EU being limited to performing the familiar functions of lending its administrative weight to joint policy roles such as countering migration, promoting business or supporting a developmental road towards stability. All in all, EU strategy remains committed to decision-making mechanisms at Member State level; however, what is exposed in Libya is that the EU toolbox can be a valuable weapon if Europe has a coherent stance. A continuing struggle between member states over how to handle the new world that is emerging in the wake of the Pax Americana is also exposed in European policy on Libya.

Turkey’s Libya Policy: Achievements and Challenges

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:27:00 GMT

Libya has been witnessing a long and destructive civil war since the fall of Qaddafi in 2011. While countries like the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France have an extremely damaging role in Libya, Turkey and Qatar has been trying to focus on ending the conflict and establishing a stable democratic country. Hafter’s invasion attempt, supported by the UAE and Egypt, failed as a result of Turkey’s intervention. In this regard, it would be correct to say that the peace process and political dialogue has only become possible with Turkey’s involvement in the Libyan equation. In Libya, where tribal ties are already effective, and centralization is weak, long-term conflicts have deeply shaken social cohesion. Furthermore, international actors have remained uninterested in Libya or preferred to fuel the problem rather than solve it. All of these factors, made it difficult for Turkey to implement its plans in Libya. Nevertheless, both Libya and Turkey have achieved major gains since the beginning of the year. In this context, this study aims to underscore the challenges of aforementioned process and consequently acquisitions of both sides.

Strange Bedfellows: Why France’s Emmanuel Macron and His Autocratic Friends Are Attempting to Impose Another Strongman in the MENA Region

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:33:00 GMT

France has lately edged ever closer to a number of autocracies in Africa and the Middle East. Notably, in the name of combating “Islamic terrorism” –which it links to “political Islam”– it has actively supported Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar. While actively allying with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Saudi Arabia; it has aggressively confronted Turkey and undermined the internationally recognized Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). In doing so, France finds itself in the same camp as Russian and Janjaweed mercenaries. Since France, in theory, supports the GNA and since Turkey has been sheltering millions of refugees that otherwise would flood Europe, this hostility is hard to comprehend. The present commentary will seek to examine the premises of this policy and what may be behind its actions.

Turkey’s Role in the Reconstruction of Libya

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:41:00 GMT

The relationship between Turkey and Libya is deeply rooted in common history and culture which provides strong foundations for a strategic alliance. The maritime and security agreements signed between the two countries in November 2019 allowed for Turkey to provide a timely and decisive support for the legitimate Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya to counter and defeat a deadly military attack on the capital Tripoli to regress Libya back to military rule spearheaded by Haftar and his regional/international backers. The Libyan people have a second chance since their revolution of 2011 to complete a turbulent transition and lay foundations for their desire for a constitutional democratic state. Turkey is placed today to be the strategic partner to help Libyans achieve this goal. Turkish strategic relationship and cooperation with Libya over the coming decades should be holistic to help with reaching lasting peace as well as institution and state building. Help can also cover reconstruction across all sectors including security services reform, energy, transport, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure.

From Zero-Sum to Positive Sum: Cultivating Political Settlement and Reform in Libya

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:48:00 GMT

In this commentary, we advocate for a comprehensive framework to address the political, economic, and social challenges facing Libya. The proposal draws a clear roadmap that begins with establishing trust and extending the authority of the government across the Libyan territory. As the waters get muddied with poorly conceived political proposals, the project advocated for in this commentary stands out as a genuine, empirically-based framework toward a solution for the Libyan crisis.

Peace Negotiations Cannot Be Held Forever: Breaking the Deadlock in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:54:00 GMT

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict resolution process had experienced insurmountable deadlock due to the failure of the peace negotiations brokered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States since the mid-1990s. The so-called Velvet Revolution of Armenia in 2018 was unable to deliver any progress, although a breakthrough was expected of, and promised by, the new leadership of the country. This, coupled with the constant provocations of the military and political leaders of Armenia, aggravated the conflict and led to the outbreak of an almost full-scale war on September 27, 2020. The war changed the status quo and created an environment for the negotiated resolution of the conflict following the establishment of a humanitarian ceasefire in Moscow. Armenia’s subsequent violations of the ceasefire regime by targeting Azerbaijani civilians have, however, demonstrated that peace is likely to remain an inaccessible dream of the region’s people in the short to medium term.

A Sea Change in the MENA Region: External Interventions in Libya

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 10:35:00 GMT

External interventions by both regional and global powers in Libya have not been a scarcity after the 2011 revolution. With the turn of 2014, however, the nature of external interventions became more of a military one especially with the imposition of Haftar’s rule in the east by several counter-revolutionary regional and global actors. At the point that the same counter-revolutionary alliance attempted to geopolitically strangulate Turkey both via propping up hostile and authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa, and also excluding it from the prospect of exploiting the riches of the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish intervention materialized in early 2020. This study attempts to explain the various motivations of the major intervening actors in Libya, namely France, Russia, Egypt, and the UAE with a special focus on Turkey. Structural realist perspective is used to elucidate the international interventions to the Libyan civil war. The nature of the uncertainty emanating from the regional transformation motivated the key actors to get militarily involved in the Libyan crisis. The actors with defensive motives are more likely to stick to the conflict despite the risks of escalation.

Hybrid Political Order in Libya: State, Non-State, and Armed Actors

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 10:51:00 GMT

Libya, inspired by the February 17 revolution but devastated by post-revolt challenges, is struggling to build order, as state, non-state, and external actors exacerbate the already fragile security environment. Among these actors, state and non-state actors pose a repeating and paradoxical dilemma. Libya’s post-Qaddafi state structure has been formed by non-state armed actors, and at the same time these actors threaten the survival of the state; certain non-state armed groups compete against each other to accumulate more power, while in some cases being legitimized and funded by the state itself. The root causes of this paradoxical situation can be scrutinized by investigating the security culture inherited from Qaddafi’s regime, particularly its inefficient and ignored security institutionalization, and the efforts of the competing armed groups to dominate their areas of influence in the absence of a coherent state structure.

The UAE’s Disruptive Policy in Libya

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:27:00 GMT

In the last decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a leading counter-revolutionary force in the Middle East. Feeling the heat of change in the region, the small, oil-rich Gulf country adopted an aggressive foreign policy that defined the UAE as a disruptive force that aims to reverse the fledgling democratic trend in the Middle East. After succeeding in Egypt in 2013, Abu Dhabi decided to support field marshal and warlord Khalifa Haftar in Libya to overthrow the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, take over power, and control Libya by force. To that end, the UAE offered massive military, financial, and diplomatic support to Haftar. In this context, the present paper aims to discuss the UAE’s interventions in Libya in terms of their nature, extent, motives, goals and repercussions. It highlights the UAE’s efforts to weave regional and international alliances to support Haftar and tries to answer the questions why Abu Dhabi has been able to act with impunity in Libya despite being the top foreign player fueling the war there for many years, and whether it will be able to achieve its goals and continue its interventions in the oil-rich North African country or not.

Managing the Refugee Crisis in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:29:00 GMT

This essay seeks to demonstrate that there are both ethical and practical considerations for enabling refugees to manage the coronavirus disease (COVID-19 pandemic). Given that a majority of refugees live in highly congested environments, particularly urban areas, an outbreak would swiftly spread through their local communities. Our argument is twofold: (i) That a new approach is needed to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic –one that recognizes mounting challenges facing refugees and relies on international cooperation rather than the myopic rhetoric and sentiments of xenophobic right-wing politicians; (ii) That helping refugees to curb the spread of the current coronavirus cannot be divorced from social contexts, hence the necessity of improving employment, basic health services, and educational opportunities for refugees.

The Actorness of the EU in Its Energy Relations with Algeria

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:50:00 GMT

The EU is now considered as an actor in international relations in many ways. Considering that it is dependent on energy imports, it is interesting to watch the actorness of the EU in energy relations as well. In this article, the external actorness of the EU in its energy relations is analysed and specified based on a set of predefined criteria of a modified concept: (i) the diplomatic apparatus and policy tools the actor uses in its energy relations; (ii) the consistency and specificity of the external energy policy and the goals and interests pursued by the EU in regard to it, and (iii) the actor’s perception of a third party which is accepted and recognised as an autonomous actor in the energy field by other actors. The criteria are then applied to a case study focused on Algeria in order to demonstrate whether the EU can be considered as an actor.

Contested Waters: Implications of the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea and the Future of the Trans-Caspian Pipeline

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 13:17:00 GMT

The dispute between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan over the delimitation of the Caspian Sea has been one of the focal points of relations between the two states and has had negative spillover effects for the region. The conflict prolonged the process of determining a new status for the sea, as the parties failed to build mutually beneficial bilateral relations, and the implementation of regionally important transportation projects such as the Trans-Caspian Pipeline (TCP) have been delayed. However, the signing of a new Convention on the status of the Caspian Sea in 2018 in Aktau, was met with optimism for the delimitation of the seabed and the construction of the TCP. The present research aims to find out whether the new Convention of 2018 on the status of the Caspian Sea resolved the long-standing dispute between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and to assess the potential of implementing the TCP under the new conditions.

The Ottoman Legacy and Neo-Ottomanism: A Review Article

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 16:06:00 GMT

The three books selected for review here shed new light on the current popularity of Neo-Ottomanism and the bloody endgame of the Empire in 1918.

The State in North Africa: After the Arab Uprisings

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 16:23:00 GMT

Overall, the book is a well-researched and very useful contribution to the debates about Arab politics after the uprisings. It could be of benefit and importance to academics, students, researchers, and anyone who would like to understand the Maghreb state’s political and social structure, both in the past and today.

Security Sector Reform for Libya: A Crucial Step towards State Building

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 16:59:00 GMT

Aslan’s book meets a need in the study inventory for Libya with research that observes the reality of the field thanks to the well-organized book structure. It is an academic book, and is accessible to decision-makers and researchers, who intend to ascertain the past, present, and the future of Libya’s conflict. Thus, the literature gained a great contribution regarding the security reforms for the Libyan state.

The Sources of Russia’s Great Power Politics: Ukraine and the Challenge to the European Order

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 21:44:00 GMT

Overall, the book contains significant information and analysis regarding the Russia’s seizure of Crimea and hybrid war in Eastern Ukraine. It is a must-read for anyone who works on Russia, foreign policy and security policy. Its strengths clearly overshadow the minor questions that comes in mind.

The Political History of Muslim Bengal :An Unfinished Battle of Faith

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 21:58:00 GMT

The Political History of Muslim Bengal is more than a mere book on political history; it vividly captures the tensions and intricacies of emerging notions of Bangladeshi Muslim identity in the face of constant socio-political upheaval and adversity.

Polarized and Demobilized:Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 22:09:00 GMT

The book reveals some basic and unique reasons for the Israel-Palestinian Conflict stemming from the Palestinian side, namely polarization and demobilization. Such exclusive findings must be read by people of concern. Thus, I highly recommend El Kurd’s precious book to readers.

The EU-Turkey Statement on Refugees:Assessing its Impact on Fundamental Rights

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 22:39:00 GMT

Hülya Kaya’s valuable research covers both the theoretical and practical dimensions of EU-Turkey relations in the post-2011 Arab Uprisings era, mainly drawing from the Turkish thesis on humanitarian and legal perspectives

The End of Europe:Dictators, Demagogues, and the Coming Dark Age

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 22:46:00 GMT

The End of Europe provides the reader with a comprehensive summary of several crises Europe faces today from democratic backsliding to widespread Russian influence.

Encyclopedia of Islamic Insurance, Takaful and Retakaful

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 22:57:00 GMT

From the beginning of the 20th century, studies on Islamic finance—as an alternative to interestbased capitalist finance—have been conducted, particularly in Egypt and Malaysia. However, Islamic finance gained an institutional identity only after the 1970s. During these years, petrodollars accumulating in the oil-rich Arab countries of the Gulf helped establish the first Islamic financial institutions.

Leading Protests in the Digital Age:Youth Activism in Egypt and Syria

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 23:04:00 GMT

This study seeks answers to how protests are managed in the digital age by comparing youth activism in Egypt and Syria.

Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe In Them

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 23:12:00 GMT

This volume will be of interest to a broad range of readers who are interested in the phenomenon of conspiracy theories as well as how experts are responding to them. Crucially, the volume allows readers to become aware of how truly contentious the term ‘conspiracy theorist’ actually is

Web Panel | The Role of External Actors in the Libyan Crisis II

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:01:00 GMT

In this panel, experts in their fields discussed the ways and purposes of foreign actors' involvement in Libya, the political order in post-revolution Libya, and Turkey's Libya policy and shared their views on the course of events in Libya. The panel was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was broadcast live on YouTube and other social media platforms.