Book Chapter: Emerging Middle Powers in the Middle East: Iran, Turkey and their Struggle for Regional Hegemony

It is out my book chapter "Emerging Middle Powers in the Middle East: Iran, Turkey and their Struggle for Regional Hegemony". It is part of a e-book edited by Juline Beaujouan, Ph.D. and published by renowned academic journal Global Policy. This book collects the conference proceedings of the 2019 IMEIS Annual Conference held at the School of Government and International Affairs, University of Durham on June 13, 2019. It is available by clicking here.

Abstract of the book: Nearly four decades have passed since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 1981. In a deeply divided and dysfunctional region, for some it is still an anti-Arab forum that keeps Arab divisions alive, for many others the it is a beacon of hope for Arab integration efforts and for wider prosperity.  The contributors to this volume explore the policies and priorities of GCC states, the tensions within and across the organisation, and behavioural traits of its key actors. Several also pay close attention to the GCC’s interactions with the wider region and in particular such countries as Iran and Turkey. 

Journal Article: Turkish AK Parti's Posture Towards the 2003 War in Iraq: the Impact of Religion amid Security Concerns

My latest Journal Article "Turkish AK Parti's Posture Towards the 2003 War in Iraq: the Impact of Religion amid Security Concerns" is now available at: https://therestjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/The-Rest-Vol.10-No.1-A1.pdf. It is part of Issue 1, Volume 10 of "The Rest. Journal of Politics and Development".
"The Rest. Journal of Politics and Development" is the scientific review of the CESRAN International UK.
UK-based CESRAN (Centre for Strategic and Research Analysis) has been recently named amongst the top think tanks in the world.

ABSTRACT: This paper focuses on Turkey’s foreign policy makers’ attitudes in the context of the 2003 US decision to wage war against Iraq. The main goal is to assess and downplay the impact of religion in relation to security-related concerns. Drawing on official speeches, interviews, declarations by key figures in the foreign policy process, the paper argues that religion is nothing more than an intervening factor in the case of Turkey’s approach to the 2003 war in Iraq. Therefore, notwithstanding the role of Islamist elites in the foreign policy decision-making of Turkey, Turkey’s foreign affairs were rather inspired by a realist behavior, driven by pragmatic considerations, aimed at pursuing rationalist goals.

Journal Article: "Turkey's Approach to Iran's Shia Crescent"

My latest Journal article "Turkey's approach to Iran's Shia Crescent" is now available at: https://rasanah-iiis.org/english/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/TURKEY%E2%80%99S-APPROACH-TO-IRAN%E2%80%99S-SHIA-CRESCENT.pdf. It is part of a special issue (8, 2018) by the "Journal For Iranian Studies" dedicated to investigate "Iran's role in the Middle East: The Prospect of a Shia Crescent Emerging". 

The "Journal For Iranian Studies" is the scientific publication of "Rasanah. International Institute for Iranian Studies", a worldwide renowned Saudi think tank. 

ABSTRACT: The Middle East has experienced several critical junctures since King Abdullah of Jordan first warned his Arab counterparts in 2004 about Iran’s design to project abroad its political, religious and military influence. Due to bitter domestic factionalism between President Ahmadinejad and the Rahbar Khamenei, the emergence of a “Shia crescent” was relatively kept under control by rival Arab countries as long as Iran was isolated from international politics. However, the outburst of the Arab Spring in 2011, the ensuing human tragedy in Syria and the sealing of a historical deal on the nuclear issue between Iran and Western powers all signalled that such a prospect would become a major existential threat for them.