...made from liberty a higher priority than security. Since the WW2, Turkey has been considered as the eastern wing of NATO. Since the end of the Cold War, Turkey tried to become an active actor with its own agenda and its own priorities. It is no more a marginal actor in the international scene, especially concerning major conflicts in the Middle-East. To play the role in an efficient way, Turkey built an assertive foreign policy, based on 3 methodological and 5 operational principles. The first methodological principle is to act rather than to react. Those Acts must be consistent with the vision of the world Turkey built, and how it sees itself in this world. The second one is having a consistent view that strengthens its foreign policy. The Third one is making the civil and economic soft spreading power of Turkey their main argument. Those principles led to an operational vision based on five points. The first one is to strike the balance between the security dimension and the liberty dimension in its intern and extern policies. Despite serious neighborhoods problems with security and lack of democracy, Turkey achieved a great constitution revision and has a more and more powerful democracy, where some marginalized parts of the population started to have their voices heard, as Kurds populations. The second one is to have zero problems with the neighbors using a developing economic interdependence between Turkey and its neighbors. It is especially the case with the Arab World...
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...For the past 10 years, Turkey has grown its real GDP at about 6% annually. This came after a huge debt crisis in 2001-02, wherein Turkey had to borrow $16 billion more from the IMF and comport with its difficult conditionality. Today, Turkey is a middle-income country in search of an effective development strategy. It tends to run high inflation with a devalued currency, despite massive capital inflows and a huge current account deficit. At home, the government has carefully managed between Islamicization, democracy and secularism. And abroad, it deals with a difficult neighborhood – Syria, Iran, Iraq, Israel (not to mention Russia, Europe and the USA). Prime Minister Erdogan is trying to rewrite the Constitution before 2014, when the next election occurs. 1. What have been the strengths and weaknesses of Turkey’s growth model? 2. What is causing the current account deficit? What can Turkey do about it? 3. What do you make of Islamicization in Turkey? Has it gone too far? Will it? 4. What do you make of the government’s foreign policy – “zero problems with its neighbors”? Country Background: • Land Mass; 97% in Asia 3% in Europe • 8400 Km Coast Line. (Mediterranean & Black Sea) Rivers: Tigris & Euphrates • Population 75 mm growing at 1.2% annually. 99% Moslem of which 30% Kurdish roots • 26% of population under 15 Years. • Economic activity dominated by Services 64%, then Industry 27 % then Agriculture 9% • Informal economy (unregistered) is a substantial...
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...admitting Turkey to membership in the European Union. Turkey's application to the European Union is still pending and is soon to be reviewed again. Support for a United States invasion of Iraq may bring the Turks billions in aid, but it may also give them the much costlier choice between losing any chance for membership in the European Union and tolerating a secessionist movement in the Turkish parts of Kurdistan, which could endanger the very existence of Turkey in its present form. Kurdish lands, rich in natural resources, have always sustained and promoted a large population. While registering modest gains since the late 19th century, but particularly in the first decade of the 20th, Kurds lost demographic ground relative to neighboring ethnic groups. This was due as much to their less developed economy and health care system as it was to direct massacres, deportations, famines, etc. The total number of Kurds actually decreased in this period, while every other major ethnic group in the area boomed. Since the middle of the 1960s this negative demographic trend has reversed, and Kurds are steadily regaining the demographic position of importance that they traditionally held, representing 15% of the over-all population of the Middle East in Asia-a phenomenon common since at least the 4th millennium BC. Today Kurds are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, after the Arabs, Persians and Turks. Their largest concentrations are now respectively in Turkey (approx...
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...TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE COLD WAR Turkey followed a “belligerence” policy from the start of II. World War in 1939 until the start of war in 1945. The purpose of that time managers of Turkey, protect it from the damage of the war. The end of the war with the options in front of us, pushing us to act together with the Western bloc. The formation of these preferences is not a decision for an instant multi-dimensional factors, factors were created by a process. Turkey’s prefer of Western side, did not lead to acceptance by the West sincerely. European members of NATO did not want to risk of war again because of Turkey who was under the Soviet threat at that time. At the same time, they were not willing to impart that the U.S. Marshall Aid to Turkey. Britain lost its efficiency in the Middle East as in all the world and for that reason Britain was put forward a project that "Commander of the Middle East" which Turkey will play a key role for gain efficiency again. Due to U.S. opposition to this prediction, this project got shelved.In the "Containment Policy" process which started with Truman Doctrine by U.S. against the Soviet Bloc, military and geo-strategic location of Turkey opened the door to NATO membership.With North Korea's attack on South Korea, the Korean War started in 1950-53 and the Turkey participating in United States’s side, this was resulting against all suspicies and prejudice, Turkey took place between NATO member countries.Russians wishes to change of...
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...THE TURKISH REPUBLIC CAG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THE NEW ERA IN TURKISH FOREIG POLICY: A MULTI- DIMENSIONAL TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY Erhan KAYA SEMINARY THESIS ADVISER PROF. DR. ALI ENGIN OBA YENICE-MERSIN/2011 Approval of the Graduate School of Economic and Administrative Sciences ________________ Prof. Dr. Ali Engin Oba Adviser I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ________________ Prof. Dr. Esat Arslan Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Esat Arslan ________________ Prof. Dr. Ali Engin Oba ________________ I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all materials and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: Erhan Kaya Signature: I would like to thank Professor...
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...Republic of Turkey is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by eight countries and five main seas. Istabul is the largest city in Turkey, and Turkey’s capital is Ankara. About 48% of the population lives in the cities or towns. The rest lives in rural areas. Most of people in Turkey are Muslim, which are followers of Islami. Also, in this paper, the culture of Turkish, the life in Turkey such as health care system, transportation, and education system are also mentioned. The Turkey republican parliamentary democracy and the economy are discussed later in the paper. The last part is business etiquette talking about some important customs that business foreigner should know. Background Turkey, also known as the Republic of Turkey, is a land-bridge linking Europe and Asia. The history of Turkey encompasses, first, the history of Anatolia before the coming of the Turks and of the civilizations – Hittite, Thracian, Hellenistic, and Byzantine – of which Turkish nation is the heir by assimilation. Second, it includes the history of Turkish people including Seljuks, who brought Islam and Turkish language into Anatolia. Third, it is the history of the Ottoman Empire, a cosmopolitan – Islamic state that developed a small Turkish amirate in Anatolia. Finally, Turkey was established in 1923, after the fall of Ottoman Empire, under “Father Turk”. It is immediately started on a course of modernization in all walks of life (Turkey, 2011.) Turkey...
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...THIMUN 2013 Researching your country SUDAN or TURKEY A/ IDENTITY 1. Insert a picture of the country’s flag: | 2. Geography a. Where is the country located? i. What continent? Anatolia (Western Asia), East Thrace (South-eastern Europe). ii. Bordering countries? Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Syria. iii. Landlocked? Seas? Mediterranean Sea (South), Aegean Sea (West), Black Sea (North). b. What is the climate like? Temperate Mediterranean climate. 3. People and Culture a. Population? 75,627,384 b. Ethnicities and predominant religion? Turks (70-75%), Kurds (18%), Others (7-12%). Predominantly Islam. c. Are there any racial or ethnic issues? If so, what are they? None. d. How are women treated in your country? Women are treated as the same as men. 4. Government and Politics a. Leader? How long have they been in power for? Are they popular? Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister since 2003, not popular. b. Current government system? Are there free elections? Parliamentary representative democracy, there are free elections. c. Stability or situation of the country’s political system today? Unstable political system, there have been violent protests in May and June. d. Any geo-political considerations? Syrian Civil War, Cyprus dispute. 5. Education a. What is the education system like? (i.e. literacy rates, girls education...
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...The Clash of Civilizations? by Samuel P. Huntington (SAMUEL P. HUNTINGTON is the Eaton Professor of the Science of Government and Director of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University. This article is the product of the Olin Institute's project on "The Changing Security Environment and American National Interests”. THE NEXT PATTERN OF CONFLICT WORLD POLITICS IS entering a new phase, and intellectuals have not hesitated to proliferate visions of what it will be -- the end of history, the return of traditional rivalries between nation states, and the decline of the nation state from the conflicting pulls of tribalism and globalism, among others. Each of these visions catches aspects of the emerging reality. Yet they all miss a crucial, indeed a central, aspect of what global politics is likely to be in the coming years. It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will be the battle lines of the future. Conflict between civilizations will be the latest phase of the evolution of conflict in the modern world. For a century and a half after the emergence of the...
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...In December 1997, members of the European Union (EU) met in Luxembourg, for a European Council summit, to talk about countries being considered for future EU membership. Among these countries, there was one remarkable absence: Turkey. Since it was excluded from this enlargement process for the foreseeable future, relations between the EU and Turkey have been very cold. Turkish Prime Minister, Mesut Yilmaz, has given the EU until the next European Council meeting in June to include Turkey in the pre-accession group of applicant countries. Otherwise, it has threatened to withdraw Turkey's application for membership. Even if such threats are unlikely to have an impact on the EU, they point out a major clash in the EU-Turkey relations. At this stage of my research, my point is not to argue whether Turkey should enter the EU or not. My research project is meant to find out whether it has the ability to meet European requirements, on a political and economic basis. However, I want to make sure that you understand the importance of this research. Turkey has been waiting since 1963 to enter the European Union. Today, the country is split between a strong religious party (the RP) and a majority of secular western-oriented people. Continuing to refuse Turkey might throw it in the hands of the islamists who are totally...
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...Speech by Haim Harari on War on Terror HAIM HARARI, a theoretical physicist, is the Chair, Davidson Institute of Science Education, and Former President, from 1988 to 2001, of the Weizmann Institute of Science. During his years as President of the Institute, the Institute entered numerous new scientific fields and projects, built 47 new buildings, raised one Billion Dollars in philanthropic money, hired more than half of its current tenured Professors and became one of the highest royalty-earning academic organizations in the world. Throughout all his adult life, Harari has made major contributions to three different fields: Particle Physics Research on the international scene, Science Education in the Israeli school system and Science Administration and Policy Making. A View from the Eye of the Storm Talk delivered by Haim Harari at a meeting of the International Advisory Board of a large multi-national corporation, April, 2004. As you know, I usually provide the scientific and technological "entertainment" in our meetings, but, on this occasion, our Chairman suggested that I present my own personal view on events in the part of the world from which I come. I have never been and I will never be a Government official and I have no privileged information. My perspective is entirely based on what I see, on what I read and on the fact that my family has lived in this region for almost 200 years. You may regard my views as those of the proverbial taxi driver, which...
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...Religion in third world countries and many developed countries is resurging. This has intensified the role of religion in politics. In the United States, the separation of church and state is acceptable. In other countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and other parts of the Muslim world, the two are not separated. Since religion plays a large role in many Muslim countries, the impact that it has on politics is more obvious. Some religions have more power in politics than others. Since most people are Muslim in Muslim countries, religions like Christianity and Buddhism have little effect on politics. Many of the Muslim countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan base their political system on the Koran. Countries like Turkey do not base their political system on the Koran. Many fundamentalists of the Muslim faith should not be considered terrorists or people that support terrorists. Many fundamentalists want to just support Islam. Even though many Muslims supported the actions of Osama Bin Laden, many condemned them. Many Muslim fundamentalists have the goal of reviving their faith. Radical Muslim fundamentalists support Jihad (another name for war), against those that want to corrupt their faith. Osama Bin Laden and his followers would be an example of this. Conservative fundamentalists want to protect their religion and keep it from outside influence. However, this is not seen as a war. The Iranian revolution has its roots in an ongoing resistance...
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...Arabia’s founding king, Abdul Aziz, aboard the cruiser Quincy in the Suez Canal. Then, and for decades after, the equation was simple: America would provide security, the Saudis oil. Those shared interests, cemented by a mutual loathing of communism (and a more recently shared hatred of Iran’s Shia theocracy and of al-Qaeda terrorists), papered over inevitable differences between a hermetic autocracy, backed by fearsomely puritanical Wahhabist clerics, and an ebullient, proselytising democracy. Such differences have inexorably widened since the end of the cold war, a process that has accelerated since Mr Obama took office. The reasons are not hard to find. For a start, surging oil production at home has sharply lessened America’s dependence on Saudi oil, even as Mr Obama’s determination to extract American forces from such quagmires as Iraq and Afghanistan has been reducing the American bootprint in the region. At the same time America’s pursuit, with its European allies, of a nuclear deal with Iran has exposed underlying differences. America sees the problem primarily as one of...
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...------------------------------------------------- THIS HOUSE WOULD ARM THE SYRIAN REBELS (from idebate.org) Syria, a relatively small but pivotal Middle Eastern Country, has been on a downward spiral since March 2011 when there were peaceful street protests calling for the President, Bashar al Assad, to step down. Assad responded with force, firing on the protestors in Daara on 21st March, and within a week demonstrations and some clashes in six of the twelve provincial capitals. Quelling Daara with force was followed in late April with violent clashes in Homs which in turn escalated nationwide on April 22 when more than 100 demonstrators were killed across the country.[1] Some among the protestors responded to force with force and formed the Free Syrian Army at the end of July whose organisation was enhanced by defections from the Syrian army.[2] Peace attempts have failed[3] and the country is now involved in a full scale civil war between rebel groups, that want to overthrow the government as inspired by the other Arab spring revolutions, and Assad's government. The civil war is compounded by the fault lines that run through Syria's history, the government is supported by a Shi'ite sect called the Alawites, that have historically been a persecuted minority but under Bashar's father, Hafez who was president from 1971 to 2000, they rose to prominence. Sunnis, the majority, want to return to political dominance, but these are not the only two groups, there are also Christians...
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...The Cold War and War on Terror were literally not any typical war that we witnessed throughout history. Although, they were unique and each had their own causes and effects, yet in some ways they are connected. In the Cold War, was a war between two superpowers enemies but no actual fighting occurred, however, there was a stockpile of nuclear weapons and money was being spent like an actually Wars being fought. This war causes a bipolar system in the world where there were two dominant powers fighting to become the dominant power. The Cold War was a real complicated war because it was more a fight about ideology, Democracy and Communism. The attacks of 9/11 that caused the death of 3000 Americans, have reshaped and changed the way Americans...
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...doi.org/10.5539/res.v4n3p18 Abstract Europe’s relation with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is discussed in the context of normative (International Society) and materialist approaches (World System’s Theory). First, European imperialism’s export of a flawed Westphalian state system is summarized. How Europe is “caught” between MENA and the US and co-opted into a division of labour toward the region is then surveyed. The gap between the normative rhetoric and actual inequitable outcomes and structures constructed under the Euro-Mediterranean partnership is examined, looking at the three “baskets” of economic developmental, political reform and cultural convergence. Four “hard cases,” EU policies toward Palestine, Iran, Syria and Turkey, illustrate the ambiguities of the EU’s approach to MENA. MENA public opinion’s ambivalence toward Europe reflects these realities. The conclusion is that the EU’sMENA policy is caught between the rhetoric of post-colonialism and practices of neo-colonialism. Keywords: EU, Middle East, Euro-Mediterranean partnership, neo-liberalism 1. Introduction Europe literally made the contemporary Middle East states system. International society approaches stress the export of institutions and norms, notably the modern nation-state, from the European core. As Little...
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