Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Spring 2020

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 17:13:00 GMT

This issue of Insight Turkey aims to present the current situation of the Turkish-American relations and to provide to its readers with a general framework of important events and developments in Turkey and its surrounding regions. We hope that this issue contributes to a better understanding of these crucial issues.

Start Small and Think Big to Rebuild the U.S.-Turkey Relationship

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 12:19:00 GMT

The U.S.-Turkey bilateral relationship has been key to the success of NATO and the transatlantic community. However, due to various policy disagreements U.S.-Turkey relations are at a new low. As with all relationships in life, the U.S.-Turkey relationship ebbs and flows and requires hard work, patience, and understanding. This is why policymakers from both sides should not be ready to throw away seven decades of close cooperation for seven or so challenging years in the bilateral relationship. Instead of looking for the silver bullet to solve the major problems, policymakers need to focus more on smaller confidence building measures to rebuild the relationship.

The Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery: U.S.-Turkey Commercial Ties that Bind

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 16:09:00 GMT

This paper examines the commercial opportunities that will endure in key sectors for the United States and Turkey in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath. These sectors include financial services and capital markets; supply chains and logistics; healthcare; digital economy; defense and aerospace; energy; travel and tourism; and women in business. While defense and security ties have traditionally led the U.S.-Turkey relationship, this piece argues that the pandemic offers the two countries mutual benefits from more robust economic and commercial cooperation in less prominent sectors such as healthcare, the digital economy, and finance.

U.S.-Turkey Relations Endure Despite Crises

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 14:19:00 GMT

The U.S.-Turkey relationship has been tested through some of the most serious crises in recent years. The continuing strength of the relationship, despite all the tensions which have resulted from some difficult strategic disagreements and diverging interests, requires a closer look. The two NATO allies appear to have learned to ‘agree to disagree’ and compartmentalize some of the seemingly most deal breaking issues. As Turkey sought to protect its national interests, some in Washington have tried to depict Turkey as a bad actor working against U.S. interests in the region and beyond. The recurring theme of Turkey, somehow leaving the West and aligning itself with the East, has convinced many in the U.S. that Turkey cannot be trusted. However, the U.S.-Turkey relationship has survived despite years of mutual mistrust, strategic divergences, and policy differences. Explaining how this has been possible is not simple by any means, but it is worth exploring.

Turkey’s Position in the Libyan Crisis

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:51:00 GMT

This paper discusses Turkey’s relations with Libya, especially after the latest ground-breaking and rapid developments that took place in Libya such as Khalifa Haftar’s attempt to invade Tripoli, the signing of two memoranda of understanding between Turkey and the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the dramatic change in the military situation of the country. It argues that Turkey’s military support changed the positions of many domestic and external actors in Libya by tilting the balance of power in favor of the GNA.

Russia’s Gas Price Discount for Bulgaria: The Problem of Imperial Economic Projects

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 15:38:00 GMT

For a long time Moscow regarded gas line as the source of increasing revenue and the way to project its global influence. Moscow also believed that gas would be always cheaper than LNG and market for gas is bottomless. Nord Stream II and TurkStream have played a crucial role in the setup of the system. However, we see that some problems have emerged recently. There is a clear decline in the prices and interests in Russian gas. It is due to the economic crisis as well as cheap LNG and alternative gas lines. For this very reason, small states like Bulgaria became more assertive towards Russia and compel Moscow to make considerable concessions.

The Future of Global Great Power Competition after the Coronavirus

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 16:37:00 GMT

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the domestic and foreign policy agendas of all countries have been turned upside down. The pandemic has brought new problems and competition areas to states and to the international system. While the pandemic politically calls to mind the post-World War II era, it can also be compared with the 2008 crisis due to its economic effects such as unemployment and the disruption of global supply chains. A debate immediately began for a new international system; however, it seems that the current international system will be affected, but will not experience a radical change. That is, a new international order is not expected, while disorder is most likely in the post-pandemic period. In an atmosphere of global instability where debates on the U.S.-led international system have been worn for a while, in the post-pandemic period states will invest in self-sufficiency and redefine their strategic areas, especially in health security. The decline of U.S. leadership, the challenging policies of China, the effects of Chinese policies on the U.S.-China relations and the EU’s deepening crisis are going to be the main discussion topics that will determine the future of the international system.

Calling for a Reset in Turkish-American Relations in the post-COVID International Order

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 16:37:00 GMT

Analysts emphasize that nothing will be the same after the pandemic and refer to the ‘new normal’ that is likely to prevail everywhere in the world. It would be a legitimate question to ask if this would provide a conducive environment for Turkey and the United States to reset their relations that have much deteriorated lately. This article will, first, highlight the contours of the ‘new normal’ narrative by referring to the views expressed by politicians, academics, analysts, journalists and intellectuals from around the world. Second, the article will assess the implications of the parameters of the ‘new normal’ for key actors in world politics, such as the United States, China, the European Union and Russia, as well as Turkey’s Middle Eastern neighbors, with respect to the issues that will be at stake in the international security environment. Finally, the article will make a call for a reset in Turkish-American relations in order for the two long-standing allies to adapt themselves better to post-COVID international politics.

The United States-Backed Containment of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 16:11:00 GMT

International competition over natural gas and oil has been escalating in the Eastern Mediterranean in recent years, and the region has become much more significant for many regional and global actors. This article claims that a bloc of regional actors, supported by the United States, has been following a containment policy against Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. By examining recent trends and developments with special focus on the policies directed against Turkey’s rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, this article demonstrates how Turkey is being isolated in the region, and discusses Turkey’s reactions to its on-going containment.

Post-Orientalism and Geopolitics: Three Debates that Inform Islam and U.S. Foreign Policy

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 16:37:00 GMT

This article argues that a post-orientalist discourse has emerged over the past few decades to challenge the dominance of orientalism on Western foreign policy thinking towards Islam and the Muslim world. The paper examines the geostrategic thinking of Bernard Lewis, Edward Said, and John Esposito, and their impact on Western perceptions of Islam. The paper submits that while Edward Said exposed the prejudice inherent in orientalist thought, it was John Esposito and a cohort of post-orientalist scholars who engaged in three critical debates with the orientalist to provide a more authentic vision of Islam and a more nuanced picture of the politics of the Muslim world. The paper however concedes that while post-orientalism has triumphed in the academic setting, the orientalist perspective still dominates the policy sphere and continues to shape American foreign policy.

Social Media and Fake News in the Post-Truth Era: The Manipulation of Politics in the Election Process*

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 23:01:00 GMT

This article focuses on how virtual social networks affect socio-political life. The main theme of the article is how social networks such as Facebook and Twitter can direct voters’ electoral preferences, especially during election time, through the dissemination of manipulative content and fake news. The use of social media, which was initially thought to have a positive effect on democratization, has been extensively discussed in recent years as threat to democracy. Examples from the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, France, Brexit, Germany, the UK and Turkey will be used to illustrate the risks that social networks pose to democracy, especially during election periods.

The Nexus of Leadership, Political Empowerment, and Social Mobilization: The Case of the July 15 Coup Attempt in Turkey

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 0:57:00 GMT

This study analyzes the mutually empowering relations between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his followers, and how Erdoğan’s charismatic leadership and image functioned to galvanize his followers on the night of July 15, 2016, when large numbers of them mobilized against the attempted coup. The article has three sections. The first is a theoretical discussion which sheds light on the concept and the underlying mechanisms of political empowerment and its effects on the relationships between leaders and followers. The second section evaluates Erdoğan’s characteristics and ruling style, which was instrumental in motivating resistance to the abortive coup. Finally, the third section analyzes the various means by which Erdoğan was able to inspire the masses to mobilize against the armed junta through interviews and observations.

Reinventing Hybridity in a Globalized Context: The Case of Turkish Soap Operas and Their Reception in Morocco

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 8:08:00 GMT

This article aims to examine Turkish soap operas as a multi-faceted phenomenon that, as a product of cultural hybridization, will also contribute to similar cultural hybridization in the countries and regions where they are broadcasted. The purpose is to highlight the fact that this is not a unilateral process of cultural influence, with an active production pole and a static and non-active receptor, but rather a dialectical process of hybridization, transformation, and adaptation. Analyzing the power of television and the strategies used by soap operas to attract an audience, the article highlights the dynamics accompanying their diffusion and the impact on the watchers. The main conclusion of this work is that Turkish soap operas are at the same time an outcome of cultural hybridization and a vector of this phenomenon since the series will influence the cultural frame of references of their host societies. The case study on Morocco helps us understand the encompassing dynamics at stake when it comes to cultural influence and interaction.

The Persian Gulf Dilemma: United in the West, Divided in the Gulf

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 15:57:00 GMT

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Western influence in the Persian Gulf has continued to expand; this process has also exposed several challenges from rivals of the United States. The pace of economic development for the oil-rich Gulf States has highlighted divergences in terms of regional politics, as Saudi Arabia’s economic leap provided a platform to claim regional leadership.

Turkey and Transatlantic Relations

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 16:14:00 GMT

Turkey and Transatlantic Relations, edited by Aylin Ünver Noi and Sasha Toperich, focuses on Turkey’s transatlantic relations through the contributions of thirty authors. The book emphasizes the past, present and future of Turkey’s position in transatlantic alliances.

From Empire to Republic: The Role of American Missionaries in US-Ottoman Empire Relations and Their Educational Legacy

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 16:41:00 GMT

Hacer Bahar’s From Empire to Republic has important insights about one of the most important pillars of Turkey-U.S. relations: American missionaries and their educational legacy in Turkey, particularly Robert College. The college itself has a very important place in the history of relations because many important Turkish bureaucrats, even prime ministers such as Ecevit and Çiller, are alumni of Robert College.

Decentralisation and the Management of Ethnic Conflict: Lessons from the Republic of Macedonia

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 16:54:00 GMT

Decentralisation and the Management of Ethnic Conflict, by Aisling Lyon, offers an analysis of local government decentralization as a potential approach for the management of ethnic conflicts. The question, is it possible to preserve the territorial integrity of a multi-ethnic state by devolving responsibilities to municipalities, is the main puzzle of this work.

The Theory of War and Peace: The Geophilosophy of Europe

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 17:03:00 GMT

A professor in the Department of Philosophy, Oleg Bazaluk focuses on war and peace in his book and attempts to develop a philosophical theory of these concepts. Bazaluk’s aim is to develop a “scientific theory of war and peace” based on well-known discussions in international relations (IR) and to determine “the rhizome” of these concepts.

Party Politics in the Western Balkans

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 17:15:00 GMT

Party Politics in the Western Balkans is a volume of articles edited by Vera Stojarová and Peter Emerson about the realities facing the political parties in the Western Balkans from the 1990s dissolution of the Yugoslavian Union and the fall of the communist regime in Albania onward. The book presents a meticulous analysis of the Western Balkan countries and their efforts during the transition process.

Making the Arab World: Nasser, Qutb, and the Clash that Shaped the Middle East

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 17:38:00 GMT

It is the historical roots of the clash between the Islamists and the nationalists in Egypt, that culminated in the bloody coup in Egypt in 2013 and whose influences have been felt around the Middle East for more than a half century, that Fawaz A. Gerges attempts to trace in his new book, titled Making the Arab World: Nasser, Qutb, and the Clash that Shaped the Middle East.

Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 17:54:00 GMT

With different meanings attached and without an overarching formal institution, the umma has nevertheless maintained strong symbolic, normative and political appeal in the world of nation states. However, as James Piscatori and Amin Saikal observe, with the structural fragmentation after the abolishment of the Sunni Caliphate and the absence of Shia Imamate, new forms of interconnectedness that embody “Muslim communalism today” are replacing old forms and bringing new theological and practical quandaries.

Sport, Politics and Society in the Middle East

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 17:55:00 GMT

The nexus among sports and politics has gained strength during recent decades. Because the Middle East is one of the world’s most troubled regions, studies of Middle Eastern sports and the strong relation between sports and politics have become a major issue within the international community. Sport, Politics and Society in the Middle East, edited by Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek essentially aims at addressing the political, economic and sociological dimensions of the sports-politics nexus.

The Internal Protection Alternative in Refugee Law: Treaty Basis and Scope of Application under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Its 1967 Protocol

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 18:00:00 GMT

The Internal Protection Alternative in Refugee Law analyzes the application of the IPA under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.