Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Winter 2017

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:15:00 GMT

Turkey is located between some of the most penetrated and volatile regions in the world, namely the Middle East, the Balkans, Caucasia and the Eastern Mediterranean. Political and economic instability, historical and cultural problems, and the interference of global powers make it difficult for regional countries to pursue an independent foreign policy since these regions are among the main geographies used and sacrificed for the global power calculations.

Turkish Foreign Policy in a Time of Perpetual Turmoil

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:34:00 GMT

2016 was a difficult year for the world; however, Turkey demonstrated her strength and resilience politically, economically, and security-wise. This commentary focuses on the future policies and challenges that Turkey may face in 2017. These policies include the open door policy towards the Syrian refugees and consolidation of the basic foreign policy tenets of Turkey. It is argued that in the face of these challenges, Turkey must always remember that upholding our common values and the spirit of cooperation is central to bringing peace, hope and prosperity to humankind.

Turkey and Russia: The Importance of Energy Ties

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:20:00 GMT

Turkey and Russia maintain close energy ties in spite of difficulties in other areas of their relationship. This compartmentalization of ties was tested following the downing of a Russian jet by Turkish Armed Forces. However, the Turkish Stream had been suspended prior to this incident by Ankara, in part because of disagreements over gas pricing. Reconciliation between Ankara and Moscow led to a reactivation of the Turkish Stream. Given their mutual dependency the energy relationship between Turkey and Russia will likely remain fairly immune to possible future downturns in ties.

An Overview of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans: 1990-2016

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:10:00 GMT

The reforming of Turkish foreign policy in the Balkans was a process that started at the end of the Cold War and with the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Turkey started reinventing its role in the geopolitical scene by standing strong to its national interests, opening up to new relations, strengthening old ones and taking a more secure place in the international arena. 25 years after, Turkey has not only earned the position of a strong player in the Balkans but has also become a regional regulator and mediator. Some suspiciously see it as a “neo-Ottoman” approach.

After Aleppo: The Long Game in Syria

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT

In the aftermath of the victory by pro-Syrian government forces in Aleppo in December 2016, many see an opportunity for a political resolution to the Syrian civil war. Although Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the time being seems to have secured his position in power, there remains much work to be done in order to bring Syria back to life again after the deep level of disruption and destruction. No less work is needed to create a vision for the future of Syria that will appeal to a critical mass of Syrian opposition elements and pro-Syrian government constituencies. This essay details how far Syria has to travel in terms of becoming a functioning state again as well as potential options for a workable and sustainable political system into the future.

A New Turkish Foreign Policy: Towards Proactive “Moral Realism”

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 13:00:00 GMT

In a time when our globalizing world is confronted by a deepening global turmoil, political instability and multiplying security threats have set in motion a global tectonic shift. Turkey is not immune from these challenges; on the contrary, with its pivotal state/regional leadership position, its foreign policy choices will shape the effectiveness of any international effort for enduring peace and stability in the region. While Turkey’s proactive mode of operation since 2002 has remained, its vision, identity, and strategy have gained new characteristics. Over the last two years we have witnessed not only a reset, but the emergence of a new Turkish foreign policy whose proactive nature and main principles are shaped by what I call ‘moral realism,’ that combines hard power-based military assertiveness and humanitarian norms in addition to new capacity- and strategy-based parameters.

Turkey’s Choice

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:50:00 GMT

This article argues that recent upheavals in Turkey’s domestic and regional dynamics – the transition to a more crisis-ridden foreign policy around 2011 and the breakdown of the “Kurdish Opening” in 2014-2015 – arose not from any fundamental change in strategic vision, but primarily from external developments such as the collapse of central authority in Syria and Iraq. These developments emboldened the PKK and its offshoots to adopt a more intransigent attitude, and prompted Turkey to add a hard power component to its previously soft powerdriven effort to expand its regional sphere of influence.With events unfolding rapidly, however, Turkey’s leadership now confronts some urgent decisions with implications both for its long-standing strategic vision and for the future character of the Turkish state.

Determinants of Turkish-American Relations and Prospects for the Future

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:40:00 GMT

This article analyzes the fluctuating course of the Turkey-U.S. relationship with a special focus on Barack Hussein Obama’s presidency. When Obama held office, he aimed at reinventingU.S.’ image and shifting center of gravity from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific. These led U.S. to develop its relations with its allies in the region to provide the course of politics go along with the American geostrategic goals. Obama suggested a “model partnership” concept to draw a line between his Administration’s and that of his predecessorGeorge W. Bush. Differences of opinion, however, meant the concept did not go beyond being a surface change. Ultimately, two problems remained unsolved; the FETÖ leader’s ongoing residence in U.S. and American support for YPG/PYD in Syria.

Assessing Turkey’s Foreign Policy Choices towards the European Union

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:30:00 GMT

Turkey adopted a new strategy for its European Union accession process in 2014, in an attempt to revitalize its relations with the EU. Turkish foreign policy towards the European Union has remained consistent with full membership as its main goal. However, since 2013, there have been significant challenges for the realization of that foreign policy objective, with the altering geopolitical environment and the changing preferences in the European Union. Turkey’s own foreign policy choices towards the EU were impacted by the loss of both EU’s credibility in its enlargement policy and its attractiveness as an economic magnet. This paper analyzes the role of the EU specific external factors on Turkish foreign policy, and assesses the reformulation of Turkey’s relations with the European Union after 2014. The main conclusion of the paper is that Turkey’s foreign policy towards the EU has altered and a new pattern of cooperation is emerging between these two players.

Energy in Turkey and Russia’s Roller-Coaster Relationship

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:20:00 GMT

Energy relations between Turkey and Russia provide an excellent example of how energy and politics interrelate in countries with a historically up-and-down relationship. Having started in the 1960s, the two countries’ energy relations gained a new dimension after 1991 with the intensification of pipeline politics. In the 2000s, energy relations gained impetus owing to the leadership of Erdoğan and Putin, and reached an apex with the establishment of a cooperation council in 2010. Since 2011, Turkey’s demands for gas price reduction and volume increase have dominated the agenda of the countries’ energy talks. While Turkish-Russian relations have remained on shaky ground lately, the signing of the Turkish Stream agreement in 2016 might be perceived as a positive step for closer energy relations.

Islamist Views on Foreign Policy: Examples of Turkish Pan-Islamism in the Writings of Sezai Karakoç and Necmettin Erbakan

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:10:00 GMT

In the case of Turkey, competing foreign policy perspectives have always represented a central issue in the ideological clash between Kemalism and Islamism, revolving around the definition of Turkey’s identity and its future in the international arena. This paper analyzes the foreign policy writings of two dissimilar figures of Turkey’s political Islam, namely Necmettin Erbakan and Sezai Karakoç, both considered central for the development of the Islamist ideology in Turkey. This study explores their texts and detects similitudes revealing their common connection with Turkey’s expression of the Pan-Islamist trend that reemerged during the Cold War. The analysis of these two authors concludes by pointing out the nationalist element characterizing Turkish Islamism –and Turkish Pan-Islamism– in comparison with analogous non-Turkish expressions of this ideology.

Notes on the Role of the Armed Forces in Reparation Processes in Colombia

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT

In this article, we present and reflect on the role of the Armed Forces in the reparation of the victims of the Colombian conflict. The article recognizes that reparation is a very important part of a comprehensive process involving truth, justice, compensation, forgiveness, reconciliation and non-repetition. The development of this article is a theoretical-reflective component of the triad: Truth, Justice and Reparation; it further develops the concept of reparation, and presents some international experiences in order to examine the elements that constitute successful reparation processes. Then, it reflects on and analyzes reparation in Colombia, and envisions some scenarios in which the Military Forces of Colombia could help to strengthen this process. Finally, it provides a series of reflections on the contributions and responsibilities of the Armed Forces in regard to the victims of the armed conflict in Colombia.

Still Awaited: A Truly Objective History of the Making of the Modern Middle East

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 15:15:00 GMT

We are now witnessing a harvest of new history books on the making of the modern Middle East. Five are chosen for a critical review below. They are works by experts, well-researched and highly readable and infinitely more objective than the over-supply of Eurocentric or Orientalist books of the past. Yet, all four have limitations, lacking due Ottoman/Turkish/Arab/Muslim sentiment and “flavor.” The fifth on the Ottoman siege of Vienna is illuminating and relevant to the on-going debate on Turkey-EU relations. It, too, has its limitations

Understanding Transatlantic Relations: Whither the West?

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 16:35:00 GMT

A valuable book that helps to better understand the spiky path in the relations between Western countries on both sides of the Atlantic. Simoni scans through the transatlantic relations (TRs) seeking to predict the course they may take in the future. She explains the main theories that tackled TRs, namely Neoliberalism, Neorealism and Constructivism, showing how each has its pros and cons.

Living in the Ottoman Realm: Empire and Identity, 13th to 20th Centuries

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 18:28:00 GMT

This book is a result of collaboration between the two historians who deal with early-modern (Isom-Verhaaren) and modern (Schull) history. The book is aimed primarily at students and has two main goals: to trace development and transformation of Ottoman identity from the emergence of the Ottoman state until its demise and to provide a glimpse into Ottoman everyday life based on the lives and stories of certain personalities and places throughout the Ottoman history. The book has 22 chapters (articles written by different authors) that are placed into four chronological sections.

Islamist Thinkers in the Late Ottoman Empire and Early Turkish Republic

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 18:17:00 GMT

Late Ottoman intellectual history, especially the nineteenth century, was seen by Bernard Lewis (in his The Emergence of Modern Turkey, 1961) and Niyazi Berkes (in his Aristotelian teleological work The Development of Secularism in Modern Turkey, 1964) as a “natural evolution” towards a “new” Republican Turkey leading up to the modernization/secularization of the country. Accordingly, political scientists and Orientalists in Europe and North America have commonly presented a history of Islamism outside of Ottoman experience, starting with the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood Hasan al-Banna of Egypt (d. 1949) in the early twentieth century, and respectively, Islamic modernism beginning in Egypt with Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905) during the nineteenth century.

A Concise History of Bosnia

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 18:13:00 GMT

Cathie Carmichael’s book integrated the political, economic and cultural history of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Throughout a rigorous study of primary and secondary sources, the book offers an objective engagement, covering the historical developments of BiH. Carmichael avoided a narrow approach towards the history of BiH by not focusing only on the events of the 1990’s – but rather offered a historical overview of the country (from the Ottoman Empire until the recent events).

Religion in Today’s World: Global Issues, Sociological Perspectives

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 18:00:00 GMT

With the rising new wave of religious-phobia in the world, understanding what lies behind the phenomenon of religion has never been so important. As the propagators of this form of religious neo-racism,1 grow in power and increase the sphere of influence of their often misguided rhetoric on religion, it is important to take a step and look at what religion itself means, how malleable yet fragile it is, and just how different it is to what the otherwise aforementioned arbitrary rhetoric claims it to be.

ISIS: A History

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 17:52:00 GMT

As of this writing in late February 2017, ISIS has lost much territory and financial capital since their peak a year or so ago, when the book under discussion was about to go to press. In this regard, the author of ISIS: A History, Fewaz A. Gerges, would not have been surprised, having written: “As a totalitarian-religious movement, ISIS will ultimately self-destruct, not because it commits evil deeds, but because it lacks a political imagination and its ideology is deeply at odds with the values and ways of life of local communities” (p. 29).

Obama’s Foreign Policy: Ending the War on Terror

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 17:31:00 GMT

By effectively defining the war on terror rhetoric, this heritage of Bush to Obama becomes the rhetorical lynchpin for the American foreign policy and everyday life in the post-9/11 era. Although various studies have analyzed U.S. foreign policy, studies on the rhetoric of the war on terror seem to remain limited. This book, that is a useful reference, serves scholars of U.S. foreign and security policy, Middle East studies, and terrorism.

A Tale of Four Augusts: Obama’s Syria Policy

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 17:31:00 GMT

As Barack Hussein Obama’s second term in the office finalized, one of the hottest debates about his administration recently has been the American foreign policy towards Syria. Although many pieces have been written about the U.S., Syria and the Arab Spring, a complete work focusing on U.S.’ Syria policy seems lacking. Kılıç Buğra Kanat’s A Tale of Four Augusts: Obama’s Syria Policy represents an important study to fill this gap by shedding light on the developments, discourses, and policy preferences in the American side.

Ruling Russia: Authoritarianism from the Revolution to Putin

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 17:17:00 GMT

In his book, Ruling Russia: Authoritarianism from the Revolution to Putin, William Zimmerman illustrates how the Russian political system unfolded in roughly a century from the Bolshevik Revolution to the beginning of Putin’s third term of the presidency, 2012. The main argument that the author demonstrates is how the Russian political system continues to exist with its constant authoritarian spirit.

Will Africa Feed China?

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 17:05:00 GMT

The recent rise in global food prices, China’s rise and its aggressive overseas agricultural investment policies resulted in the Western media labelling it the leading “land grabber” in Africa and the world. It is the lack of investigative reporting about China’s role in foreign agricultural investment that culminated in the propagation of several myths by the media, civil society, governments and even academia. The gap between myths and realities motivated Deborah Brautigam, the author of Will Africa Feed China?