Monday, October 18, 2021

Journal article: Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy

My latest journal article "Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy" has been published in the Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, Volume 10, No.2, Issue 30, pages 231-254. It is available by clicking here. The whole Issue is available here.

Abstract: Since 1979 Iran’s foreign policy has swung from pan-Islamism to nationalism, from ideology to pragmatism, from détente to postdétente. This article aims at explaining how domestic factionalism has affected Iran’s foreign policy over the past 40 years and, vice-versa, how it has been shaped by external stimuli. Factionalism can be considered as an intervenient variable which, alongside the external environment, may have an impact on Iran’s foreign policy making. But it can also be considered as a dependent variable which may be affected by external constraints. I argue that when factionalism emerges, Iran’s foreign policy generally tends to be characterized by ideology. However, this may also be a function of increasing external pressures. At the same time, factionalism is generally toned down when either domestic imperatives or external forces push Iran to adopt a more pragmatic stance in foreign affairs. The background argument is that despite an influential role of religion in the country’s politics and policies, Iran has remained committed to defensive and realist imperatives for most of the last 40 years. The main questions here addressed are: how does factional politics in Iran reflect upon a certain foreign policy making? How does factionalism is in turn affected by external challenges/ threats and how does it translate either into an ideological or a realist and pragmatic foreign policy?

Friday, January 29, 2021

Book Chapter: Transition and Middle Power: Turkey’s Strategic Autonomy on the Atlantic Area Border with the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa

When I enrolled as a university student in 2003, Prof. Fulvio Attinà was already among the Old Masters in our discipline. Today, with great honor and excitement, I've just joined a bunch of talented academicians who, under his leadership, have focused on the current world order transition and impact on Europe and the Trans-Atlantic relations in facing China growth to world power. 

My personal contribution to this brand-new book deals with "Transition and Middle Power: Turkey's Strategic Autonomy on the Atlantic Area Border with the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa.

Click here to find out more about the book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-63038-6?fbclid=IwAR1KG-hDGw-NLcoLgeIxXRAnfz8xIJQkWnSwHDGZ9uv__7EA_JG8dbce5ZE#toc

And my chapter: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-63038-6_8?fbclid=IwAR0tVkqNfkoGmqLMb95wXrlOPsFAgc8jU51qzo5atSU1K7uuhusqREZMfC4

Enjoy!

Friday, December 18, 2020

Intervista: Ankara non ha mai smesso di stare dentro al campo occidentale di alleanze. Resta però uno Stato in bilico.

Alcune mie riflessioni su Erdoğan e politica estera turca raccolte in questa intervista a cura di Marco Fontana ed Eliana Puccio pubblicata il 17/12/2019 per la Rivista On-Line di Geopolitica internazionale e di politica nazionale Strumenti Politici:

Clicca qui per leggerne il testo integrale.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Intervista: Somalia: le mani turche sul Paese dal 2011. Parla Federico Donelli, ricercatore dell’Università di Genova e di Bologna

A seguito della liberazione di Silvia Romano, l’italiana rapita in Kenya il 18 novembre 2018 e rimasta prigioniera dell’organizzazione al-Shabbab fino a qualche giorno fa, sono fioccati sulla stampa italiana commenti, analisi e resoconti carichi di sorpresa. 

In molti si sono accorti che in Somalia esiste una presenza turca e che, attraverso i propri servizi segreti, Ankara ha avuto un ruolo determinante nella liberazione della ragazza. 

Eppure, è dal 2011 che la Turchia ha cominciato prepotentemente a mettere piede in Somalia, devolvendo una serie di aiuti economici e di welfare che le hanno permesso di costruire una rete capillare di contatti con la popolazione locale. 

La propria presenza fisica sul territorio è stata segnata dall’apertura di un’ambasciata e della più grande base militare turca all’estero, dall’attivazione della rotta aerea Istanbul-Khartoum-Mogadiscio e, chiaramente, attraverso le attività di intelligence. 

Per continuare con gli approfondimenti che Report Difesa sta garantendo da giorni sulla questione, abbiamo ritenuto che fosse utile confrontarci con chi da anni conosce e studia tali questioni.

E abbiamo intervistato Federico Donelli, ricercatore all’Università di Genova, docente di Storia e Istituzioni del Medio Oriente moderno all’Università di Bologna, analista rinomato che ha trascorso diverso tempo in Turchia per svolgere ricerche sulla politica estera turca. 

In particolare, Donelli si è occupato specificamente della presenza turca nel Corno d’Africa e al proposito ha definito le modalità dell’allargamento turco in questa regione attraverso il concetto di Ankara consensus

L’idea cioè che la Turchia stia perseguendo ormai da anni un modello esclusivo e unico di coinvolgimento in quella regione quale sintesi fra un approccio ai problemi di sostenibilità in Africa e un discorso utile a promuovere la proiezione della propria potenza a livello globale. 

Fra le sue numerose pubblicazioni di prestigio, ci limitiamo a segnalare l’illuminante The Ankara Consensus: the significance of Turkey’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa, apparso in «Global Change, Peace & Security» (2018) e la monografia Le due sponde del Mar Rosso. La politica estera degli stati mediorientali nel Corno d’Africa (Mondadori Università, 2019), una sorta di summa del suo percorso di studi.

Per leggere l'intervista completa, cliccare qui.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Eventi vari: conferenze dicembre 2019 - febbraio 2020

La frenesia dovuta alle corse negli ultimi tempi combinata con l'essere stati catapultati da un momento all'altro in una situazione surreale mi hanno impedito di pubblicare tempestivamente i dovuti aggiornamenti relativi alla mia attività di relatore in convegni pubblici - eventi organizzati allo scopo di presentare la mia monografia o, più in generale, per discutere di Medio Oriente. 

La situazione emergenziale da Covid-19 mi ha anche impedito di realizzare almeno altre cinque attività di conferenziere nella stagione primaverile di questo 2020, senza dimenticare i grandi convegni accademici, appuntamento fisso di ogni fine estate, primo fra tutti il Convegno SISP di Roma. 

Brevemente illustro gli impegni saltati, con l'auspicio di potervi presto rimediare.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

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. 

Sunday, February 23, 2020

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: Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy

My latest journal article "Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy" has been published in the ...