Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Fall 2021

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 2:48:00 GMT

With one more year coming to an end, we are pleased to present to our readers yet another insightful issue of Insight Turkey that has attempted to bring a comprehensive analysis of Turkey’s grand strategy and highlight its current regional and international role and status. Hopefully, this issue will provide the foothold for all those interested in defining Turkey’s grand strategy. We are looking forward to providing you with more next year!

Unveiling the Unseen: The Role of the Gulf over the Sudanese Transition Period

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 3:25:00 GMT

Sudan, an African-Arab country, has in recent years been witnessing the political transformation process of the revolution-coup spiral. The Sudanese people, who overthrew the 30-year-old regime, are not satisfied with the revolution that came into power in 2019. This new conjuncture, which can barely be called a revolution, did not solve the structural problems such as corruption, unemployment, injustice, or inability to rule. Therefore, the fire of revolution and the desire for democracy have not yet died out in Sudan. However, the role of external and internal actors influencing the country’s transformation process deserves scrutiny. In this sense, this piece seeks to answer the question of how Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been actively involved in and diverting the transformation process in Sudan. The main claim of the study is that the Saudi-UAE axis is diligent in establishing an authoritarian military regime in Sudan. The notions of secularization and normalization with Israel stand out among the projects that the UAE is trying to implement in Sudan. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, using petro-dollar as a tool, are directly engaging in Sudan’s transition period.

How Algeria-Turkey Ambitious Strategic Rapprochement Will Affect France’s Sahel Policy?

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 4:28:00 GMT

President Macron did decide to withdraw French troops from the Sahel last summer, leaving only special forces based in north Mali, he stated that Operation Barkhane will end early in 2022. Nonetheless, Algiers’ decision to not allow French military planes to use Algeria’s airspace will create a direct impact on the military mission and France’s entire ‘war on terror in the Sahel. In Algeria, however, bold decisions toward a strategic rapprochement with Turkey were in the making. Even though the new authorities in Algiers were hesitant for such a foreign policy shift, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the internal political struggle, constitutional and institutional amendments in the aftermath of the peaceful Algerian 2019 Hirak needed to be put in place. However, the tenacious resistance of the Francophile and Arabophone-nationalists anti-Ottoman legacy, the well-off social class, and elite pro-France lobbies in Algiers and Paris held back President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s Administration from improving the relations between Algiers and Ankara. Meanwhile, the ambassadors from both countries have been pushing tirelessly for the success of the strategic rapprochement between these two states.

The Muslim Brotherhood Faultline in Saudi-Qatari Relations: Domestic Divisions and Regional Rivalry

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 4:45:00 GMT

The commentary argues the Saudi-Qatari tensions lie in conflicting perspectives about the role of political Islam within the fabric of both states and their actions regionally. Fundamentally, the rivalry stems from contrasting relations between political and religious elites in each country which has taken on increasing political importance in tensions between Riyadh and Doha. Central to much of this are questions about the role played by the Muslim Brotherhood (and its various affiliates). More relatedly, the Saudi-Qatari rifts emerge out of competing understandings of authority and legitimacy, and with it, concern at the contestation of these claims.

The Turkey-Africa Bromance: Key Drivers, Agency, and Prospects

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 4:52:00 GMT

Turkish-African relations have consistently exhibited strong growth since Ankara declared 2005 as ‘the year of Africa.’ Turkey’s growing economic, political, aand security involvement in Africa reflects Ankara’s need to establish new markets for its manufactured goods and its defense and armaments industry and present itself as a relevant regional and global actor different from traditional western players on the continent. African countries have been astute in their engagement with Ankara in terms of exercising leverage in the evolving Turkish-African partnership. They seek to attract Turkish foreign direct investment, diversify economic and political partners to reduce dependency and fuel their state-building projects. Ankara’s domestic economic woes notwithstanding, Turkey’s growing footprint in Africa will likely continue to produce positive results for both sides.

The Evolutionary Feature of Turkey’s Soft Power in the Middle East, 2011-2020

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 4:55:00 GMT

Today, soft power plays an important role in advancing states’ foreign policy goals. As one of the world’s emerging economic powers, Turkey pays special attention to the development and maintenance of its soft power. This commentary uses a descriptive-analysis approach to address the components of Turkey’s soft power in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region in the years 2011-2020, the second decade of AK Party governance. Turkey’s soft power during this time period has mainly targeted and become influential in the Muslim-majority countries of the Middle East and Asia. Although certain events, such as the 2016 failed coup, the Gezi Park protests, the Syrian crisis, fluctuations in the value of the Turkish lira, etc., have somewhat tarnished the country’s image, various indicators of Turkey’s soft power demonstrate that it has remained strong in the MENA region during the time span of the present research.

Turkey’s Grand Strategy and the Great Powers

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:44:00 GMT

How compatible is Turkey’s grand strategy with the grand strategies of global great powers? This article briefly summarizes principles of Turkish grand strategy, both from a descriptive and normative point of view, and then proceeds to outline and compare the grand strategies of five great powers that are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). While there are some observable conflicts between Turkey and the French, Russian, and American proxies in Syria, Libya, and the Caucasus, there are no outstanding militarized conflicts between Turkey and the British proxies. China is also positioned against Turkey in several international conflicts including Syria, and the intense persecution of Turkic Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang adds another dimension of latent Chinese-Turkish conflicts. The article provisionally concludes that the Turkish grand strategy seems to be most compatible, or least incompatible, with the British grand strategy, followed by the U.S. grand strategy, among the five permanent members of the UNSC, whereas Turkish and French and especially Russian grand strategies seem particularly incompatible.

Turkey’s Strategic Conduct under the Changing International System

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:54:00 GMT

This article analyzes how Turkey should adjust its grand strategy under the changing international order. It claims that the international order has undergone a significant transformation that is pushing Turkey to relocate its international position. First, the article examines the characteristic features of the changing dynamics of the international system; it then sheds light on the new aspects of Turkey’s changing strategic landscape. By taking into consideration the transformation in Turkish foreign and security policy since the Arab Uprising, the article argues that Turkey needs a basis for determining what is important and what is not, what the primary threats to the nation’s interests are, and how best to serve those interests in a way that is attentive to the costs and risks it is willing to bear. Our aim in this article is to describe how Turkey can deal with the new reality of the international system and pursue and protect its important interests by developing a comprehensive grand strategy.

The Intersection of Grand Strategies in Turkey-Russia Relations: Reflections of Smart Alignment and Flexible Competition in the International Arena

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:14:00 GMT

Evaluating Turkey-Russia relations is a dilemma, as the two countries fluctuate between perceptions of mutual historical hostility and strategic partnership. An alternative perspective is needed to get beyond the impasse of this dilemma. The main purpose of this study is to explain the common aspects of the grand strategies of Turkey and Russia within the framework of the pattern and to evaluate the policies of both countries in Syria, Libya, and the South Caucasus where the interests of both intersect and occasional conflict. We propose that Turkey-Russia relations can best be defined around the concepts of ‘smart alignment’ and ‘flexible competition.’ Their bilateral relations cannot be considered black or white in the abstract, but rather take place in the ‘gray zone.’ Alternative scenarios for the future of bilateral relations are presented in the conclusion.

The Role of Turkish Drones in Azerbaijan’s Increasing Military Effectiveness: An Assessment of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:24:00 GMT

This study focuses on Turkey as a rising drone power in the international arena in recent years. In this context, the article will scrutinize the case of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which broke out on September 27, 2020. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one of the frozen problems in the Caucasus region, was ended in favor of Azerbaijan less than two months later. Turkey took on a game-changing role in the region by supplying its ally Azerbaijan with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for use in the conflict, and significantly contributed to Azerbaijan’s victory. Turkey’s political, diplomatic, and military contributions to Azerbaijan will likely be discussed on the global agenda for years to come; this study will contribute to the literature on the role and impact of Turkey’s military support, especially its drones, on Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh victory.

The Washington Agreement: A Supplementary Document to the EU Efforts in Kosovo?

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:32:00 GMT

This paper analyzes the Washington Agreement (WA) in the context of European Union (EU) efforts to facilitate the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. The starting point is based on the idea that EU-led negotiations seek consensus between leadership in Belgrade and Pristina, as opposed to unilateral or imposed solutions. The central question is as follows: is the WA a supplementary document to the Brussels process? While certain points of the agreement are a mere repetition of previous agreements signed by the two parties, the agreement commits Kosovo to the mini-Schengen and brings a novelty into the dynamics of the Belgrade-Pristina relationship, such as in the case of the joint management of Gazivode/Ujmani lake. With a new Kosovar government, the mini-Schengen point, together with the point of Kosovo and Serbia’s pledge to open/move embassies to Jerusalem, remains the most contested part of the Agreement. Finally, the two sides have reaffirmed their commitment to western values and agree to become less dependent on Russia’s energy and China’s technology supplies.

The Turkey-UK Free Trade Agreement in Terms of Economic Diplomacy

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:44:00 GMT

This article scrutinizes relations between economic diplomacy and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by focusing on the Turkey-UK free trade agreements which came into force in 2021. Accordingly, the article first introduces the concept of economic diplomacy, an important issue as it has been shown that bilateral trade agreements, nowadays preferred by many countries, can be used as a tool of economic diplomacy. The article then discusses the history and development of free trade agreements signed by Turkey, including its long-running experience of economic integration with the European Union. Although Turkey began establishing free trade agreements in the 1990s, it has been concentrating on and accelerating its use since 2000. Based on economic and political reasons underlying the free economic agreements, the reasons why Turkey and the UK have reached such an agreement are summarized. Economic relations between the two countries are then analyzed and the details of the agreement are investigated in the context of the changes that it provides.

Russia’s Policy During the 44-Day Karabakh War

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:52:00 GMT

The 44-day Karabakh War seriously affected the international balances in the Caucasus in terms of security, politics, and economic dimensions. The attitude of international actors during the war was important to define the fate and consequences of the war. Among these international actors, Russia’s attitude was of special importance. The policy followed by Russia during and after the 44-day Karabakh War had four main and parallel pillars: The first pillar of Russia’s policy was maintaining the status of its traditional ally Armenia. The second pillar was maintaining its mediator role for the resolution of the conflict. The third pillar of the policy pursued by the Kremlin was not harming the strategic partnership relationship with Azerbaijan, which had been specially developed during Vladimir Putin’s tenure. The fourth pillar of the policies pursued by Russia was not disrupting the multidimensional profound relationships with Turkey, which had advanced in recent years. The first two dimensions of this policy followed by the Putin Administration during the 2nd Karabakh War represent Russia’s conventional Caucasus policy and the last two dimensions embody a policy change.

Will the Rise of China Transform the International System?

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:11:00 GMT

In this article, the rise of China is discussed in the light of economic and military data, and what the challenge from China means for the global leadership of the U.S. is analyzed. Changes in the indicators of the U.S. and China’s economic and military power over the last 30-40 years are examined and an answer is sought for the following question: What will the consequences of China’s rise be in terms of the international political system? To answer this question, similar ‘rise and challenge’ precedents are discussed to contextualize and analyze and the present challenge China poses. This article concludes that while improving its global status, China has been taking the previous cases’ failed challenges into consideration. China, which does not want to repeat the mistakes made by Germany and the Soviet Union, is hesitant to pursue an aggressive military policy and tries to limit its rivalry with the U.S. in the economic area. While Chinese policy of avoiding direct conflict and focusing on economic development has made it the biggest economic rival of the U.S, the rise of China initiates the discussions about the end of the U.S. and West-led international system.

Exploring the Traits of a Grand Strategy for Turkey: Resilience, Protean Power, and Connectography

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:31:00 GMT

The international system is experiencing profound changes and has taken on an uncertain character as a result. The concept of strategy and its study has closely followed this trend, and new concepts have emerged both to adapt to and theoretically describe the practical changes and challenges it has engendered. This article explores the ill-suited features of mainstream debates and theorizing from a Turkish perspective and suggests that a critical realist analysis of agential strategizing is most useful to addressing the emerging context. It argues that Turkey has a long pursued grand strategy, but new concepts –resilience, protean power, and connectography– can enhance Turkey’s ability to strategize and can enrich the lately emerged vibrant debates exploring Turkey’s grand strategy.

Understanding Eurasia in Multiple Perspectives

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 20:06:00 GMT

The three works reviewed in this article address Eurasia in different periods and different areas of concentration. Each one provides valuable information in understanding the historical and political developments that have affected the Eurasian landmass. Understanding this huge geography, its people, its past and present situation requires a holistic approach with detailed knowledge and awareness of regional peculiarities.

Citizenship, Territoriality and Post-Soviet Nationhood: The Politics of Birthright Citizenship in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 17:41:00 GMT

Citizenship, Territoriality, and Post-Soviet Nationhood contribute much to the debate on nationalism and citizenship policies with its well-structured empirical and in-depth analysis. It offers significant explanations about why post-Soviet states internalize more or less inclusive citizenship policies over a broad historical background.

The Imperial Discipline: Race and the Founding of International Relations

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 17:49:00 GMT

The book provides a much-needed disruption in the discipline of IR, whose hegemonic nature too often goes unnoticed and unchallenged. The authors have engaged in strong archival research to uncover the progression of internationalist visions through the Round Table network. The authors seek to decolonize IR by bringing in non-Eurocentric perspectives and visions.

Islam, Gender, and Democracy in Comparative Perspective

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:04:00 GMT

The edited book presents multiple perspectives and a coherent research agenda characterized by an interdisciplinary approach. It is a major contribution to the literature on gender relations, in part due to its original approach to questioning binary debates such as secularization-democratization as well as Islamic exceptionalism and women’s rights. Through the case studies, the book goes beyond the Middle East to encompass analyses of the larger Muslim world. Its engagement with a broad range of comparative literature, providing rich topics, issues, and debates, makes it a fascinating read. The volume is an authoritative source of reference for anyone interested in understating the nuanced relationship between democracy, secularism, and gender in contemporary Muslim settings in an objective and comprehensive way.

Modern Geopolitics of Eastern Mediterranean Hydrocarbons in an Age of Energy Transformation

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:15:00 GMT

Modern Geopolitics of Eastern Mediterranean Hydrocarbons in an Age of Energy Transformation provides a very broad picture of the Eastern Mediterranean, evaluating the region from many different and valuable perspectives. Although there are some gaps in the narration and some issues are glossed over quickly, the book, in general, can be read fluently. Regardless of their level of knowledge, it is recommended for those studying the Eastern Mediterranean from all disciplines.

China’s Foreign Policy Since 1978: Return to Power

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:22:00 GMT

China’s Foreign Policy Since 1978: Return to Power demonstrates how China has projected power and countered external initiatives that undermine its security demands while attempting to prevent encirclement. China has leveraged its position in asymmetrical relationships and implemented wedge strategies to achieve the success it enjoys today. The book would benefit from more updated comparative data, especially in the first chapter, which includes global economic statistics. These statistics, especially some of the trade data, don’t go further than 2013. Despite this minor shortcoming, Khoo’s book is a helpful addition to the literature for anyone seeking a broader understanding of China’s foreign policy and its current position in world politics. China’s Foreign Policy since 1978: Return to Power is a necessity for the academic library and a must-read for all students and academicians interested in China’s foreign affairs.

Al-Quds: History, Religion, and Politics

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:34:00 GMT

Al-Quds: History, Religion, and Politics makes a great contribution to understanding the latest conflicts in the region by taking a multi-dimensional approach. The second part in particular is highly helpful in comprehending the underlying meaning of the international positioning regarding Trump’s decision.

Whatever Happened to the Third World? A History of the Economics of Development

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:52:00 GMT

The book is very well organized and divided into seven chapters. In his detailed and comprehensive work, de Haan lays out the main terms related to the subject, country classifications, what ‘third world’ denotes, and what happened there in terms of economic development. He provides development theories of first, second, and third generations, and finally discusses the developing part of the world’s share of globalization and international trade

How Democracies Die: What History Reveals about Our Future

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:58:00 GMT

How Democracies Die is an explicit account of carefully arranged historical facts about the processes and observed failings of democratic institutions in selected countries of reference, including Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela –an analytical narrative of the anti-democratic values and attitudes that the authors believe are responsible for the eventual liquidation of democratic governance systems in those countries. The impetus behind this very timely publication is the perceived threat that the authors feel, rightly or wrongly, that the Trump Presidency posed for American democracy –an expressed concern that is palpable throughout all the pages of the book.

Refugia: Radical Solutions to Mass Displacement

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 19:23:00 GMT

Refugia is a utopian fiction, as its authors emphasize. By blurring the distinction between reality and fiction, the book aims to weave a network of solidarity among refugees as a way of meeting the basic needs of displaced people regardless of their locations. The authors radically criticize the current, conventional protection regime, which restricts people’s right to live in the land where they were born as well as the option of resettlement in the prosperous countries of the world. Such a proposal heartens authoritarian regimes that forcibly drive people out of their homeland, while also bringing us to the point where it is very pleasing to the developed states to contain only 15 percent of the world’s refugees.

Sovereign Soldiers: How the U.S. Military Transformed the Global Economy after World War II

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 19:24:00 GMT

In this book, Madsen assesses the economic policies of the military governments established in these two countries and discusses American policy with a special focus on army commanders. Although the book does not shed light on the relations between American corporations and politicians that aim to economically exploit the occupied lands, it presents a reasonable analysis from a political-economic perspective on a critical period in political history focusing on the policies of military leaders in Japan and Germany.