Mediterranean Quarterly recent issues

Turkish Politics

Payne, D. M. — 2008-08-19

A New Era of Turbulence in the Balkans?

Carpenter, T. G. — 2008-08-19

Russia and the Black Sea's Frozen Conflicts in Strategic Perspective

Blank, S. — 2008-08-19

American Foreign Policy after Iraq

Pranger, R. J. — 2008-08-19

Turkey's Relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council from 2003 to 2007: New Paradigms?

Olson, R. — 2008-08-19

Back to the Future: Rediscovering America's Foreign Policy Traditions

Eland, I. — 2008-08-19

An Agenda for the Next American President

Fouskas, V. K., Gokay, B. — 2008-08-19

Slovenia's Defense Policy in a Euro-Atlantic Reality

Grizold, A. — 2008-08-19

Iain Chambers: Mediterranean Crossings: The Politics of an Interrupted Modernity.

Ewing, R. C. — 2008-08-19

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Encountering the Mystery: Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today.

Chryssavgis, J. — 2008-08-19

Esra LaGro and Knud Erik Jorgensen, Editors: Turkey and the European Union: Prospects for a Difficult Encounter.

Dillery, C. E. — 2008-08-19

Twenty Years of Change: Tunisia's Journey of Progress Continues

Hachana, M. N. — 2008-05-30

Lessons Learned from the 1994 Rwanda Genocide

Murigande, C. — 2008-05-30

The Rising Euro and Sinking Dollar: Explanations and Implications

Sharma, S. D. — 2008-05-30

The Question of Arab Solidarity in the 1948 War: Political Interests versus Military Considerations

Yitzhak, R. — 2008-05-30

Searching for a Brother Lost in Albania's Gulag

Stavrou, N. A. — 2008-05-30

The Post-9/11 American Conundrum: How to Win the War of Ideas in the World of Islam

Ahrari, E. — 2008-05-30

The Kurdistan Workers' Party Turns against the European Union

Uslu, E. — 2008-05-30

Zehra F. Kabasakal Arat, ed. Human Rights in Turkey. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007. 349 pages. ISBN 978-08122-4000-9/ISBN-10: 0-8122-4000-6. $69.95.

Pranger, R. J. — 2008-05-30

Sotiris Rizas: Oi Ellinotourkikes Sheseis ke to Aigaio: 1973-1976 (Greek-Turkish Relations and the Aegean: 1973-1976). Athens: I. Sideris, 2006. 182 pages. ISBN 960-08-0371-4. 15{euro}.

Stroescu, O.-C. — 2008-05-30

The Balkans: In the Era of Peace and Stability

Mallias, A. P. — 2008-02-20

The author, the Greek ambassador to the United States, argues that the Balkan countries have made significant strides in economic and security stabilization over the past decade but points to particular challenges, notably in Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). He argues that conditions in both countries remain volatile and that any solutions must come in the context of relations with European neighbors and within the frameworks of existing treaties and policies. He describes how Greece has contributed to economic development in the region in hopes of stabilizing the it as part of the wider European and international communities and argues that actions by FYROM jeopardize its relationship with international organizations and thus pose a threat to stability in the region.

Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Obasanjo, O. — 2008-02-20

This essay by Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria, examines the challenges (AIDS, poverty, and governance) and opportunities (receptive investment climate, increasing democratization process, and a new framework for development) that African countries must deal with and the rest of the world respond to. The author asserts that Africa must engage the world community if it is interested in harnessing the full potential of its resources, as well as enjoying maximum output. The author argues that Africa is a friendly and profitable arena for investment and is moving away from corrupt and often mismanaged public sectors and toward good governance.

Major Failures of Process and Judgment: National Security Policy Making in the Bush Administration

Lewis, W. H., Sapin, B. M. — 2008-02-20

The failures of process and judgment that help explain the war in Iraq are varied. Established patterns of policy making were overshadowed by mechanisms operating outside the formal system, notably by Vice President Richard Chaney. Also, an arrogant defense secretary overpowered senior military officers as well as the Department of State and its secretary. While it is difficult for Congress to constrain a president once a major military enterprise has been approved, Congress has been even more compliant that usual in this case. There are no panaceas, but manageable changes can strengthen the system and make another Iraq far less likely. The roles of the secretary of state and national security adviser need to be strengthened, and career military officers and civil servants must be encouraged and supported in their efforts to offer independent views to the political leadership. Most important is a policy environment open to varied perspectives rather than driven by narrow dogma.

Turkey and the Threat of Kurdish Nationalism

Giraldi, P. — 2008-02-20

The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 has resulted in a resurgence in Kurdish nationalism. There has also been a revival of the terrorist threat directed against Turkey coming from the Kurdistan Workers' Party based in northern Iraq. The inability of the United States to curb the terrorism problem and the increasing instability of the region as a whole have put pressure on the Turkish government to act decisively. Much of this pressure comes from secularists and the army itself, both of which criticize the ruling AK Party because of its failure to provide security. The decision whether to invade northern Iraq will depend on exactly how Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan chooses to respond to that pressure.

Nation Building in a War Zone: The US Record in Iraq, 2003-2007

El-Khawas, M. A. — 2008-02-20

The essay examines Bush's strategies to democratize Iraq. Failure to draft a plan for Iraq's stabilization led to costly mistakes that drove many Sunnis to join insurgent groups, fueling sectarian strife. Holding multiparty elections was a major accomplishment, but it did not lead to national reconciliation. Meanwhile, Bush has given Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki governmental benchmarks to meet, has sent more troops to drive insurgents out of Baghdad, and has armed Sunni tribes to fight al Qaeda. After reviewing key events, the essay assesses the prospects for the future of democracy in a country where there is neither security nor the rule of law.

Approaching Albania

Binder, D. — 2008-02-20

It took twenty-seven years and the ending of the Cold War for former New York Times correspondent David Binder to obtain permission to enter Communist Albania. Once there, in 1990, the author was introduced to both suspicion and traditionally warm hospitality. He found Albania impoverished, as it had been throughout its history, but also rich in talented and thoughtful people. Images of Stalin and of Enver Hoxha, Stalin's Albanian imitator, were still omnipresent. "We are a terrorized people," one student commented. Rebellion was in the air.

Al Qaeda in the Maghreb: The "Newest" Front in the War on Terror

Celso, A. N. — 2008-02-20

The presence of al Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) may be interpreted as the opening of a new front in the cause of international jihad. However, terrorist activity in North Africa is not new, for the region has been convulsed by past jihadist insurgencies. The essay argues that AQIM is a response to jihadists' post-9/11 organizational and ideological problems. The loss of al Qaeda's Afghan sanctuary had made it dependent on affiliates to recruit terrorists. The failure of the North African Salafists to overthrow any government, moreover, requires the commissioning of a new cause. AQIM is a mutually beneficial arrangement among jihadists to compensate for past failures.

Evaggelos G. Vallianatos: The Passion of the Greeks: Christianity and the Rape of the Hellenes. Harwich Port, Mass.: Clock and Rose, 2006. 245 pages. ISBN: 978-1-59386-039-4. $39.95.

Evangeliou, C. C. — 2008-02-20

Charles Pena: Winning the Un-War: A New Strategy for the War on Terrorism. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2007. 240 pages. ISBN 978-1-59797-006-8. $19.95.

Vallianatos, E. G. — 2008-02-20

2008-02-20

France, Europe, and the Mediterranean in a Sarkozy Presidency

Bowen, N. — 2007-11-20

Nicholas Sarkozy.s campaign documents and speeches reveal more continuity than rupture with past French foreign policy. The US will welcome his support for missile defense and possible unilateral action outside of the UN. However, like previous French presidents, Sarkozy extolled multipolarity and independent European Union military capacity while opposing a global role for NATO. He called for protection against the negative impacts of globalization and promoted EU.wide industrial .champions.. He opposed Turkey.s entry into the EU on cultural and antiterrorist grounds. Instead, he proposed to create a new Mediterranean Union. Anti.immigrant policies at home combined with an unapologetic view of French colonialism make it unlikely that Sarkozy will be able to revive the EU.s Mediterranean initiative and with it France.s fading leadership in North Africa.

From the EU Project to the Iraq Project and Back Again? Kurds and Turks after the 22 July 2007 Elections

Olson, R. — 2007-11-20

This essay argues that from the first of January 2007 to Turkey.s general elections on 22 July the ruling Justice and Development Party.s (AKP) major focus was on the .Iraq project. rather than the established .EU project.. The Iraq project refers to the challenge of Kurdish nationalism in Iraq represented by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the influence that these two parties could potentially have on the domestic politics of Turkey, especially the challenge from the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas ensconced in the Kandil Mountains of northern Iraq. The essay concludes that the landslide victory of the AKP allows the government to once again focus its efforts on gaining admittance to the EU and the necessary reforms to achieve that status. The fact that DTP candidates won only twenty parliamentary seats while the AKP won some fifty seats in heavily populated Kurdish regions also somewhat eased AKP concerns of the challenge of Kurdish nationalism within Turkey to the government and the state.

What Is Public Diplomacy? Past Practices, Present Conduct, Possible Future

Roberts, W. R. — 2007-11-20

The term public diplomacy has only recently reached the American lexicon but has not obtained a definitive interpretation. This essay attempts to present a definition based on history and practical usage. It traces the public diplomacy program from its beginnings, explains its application, and describes some of its successes. It stresses the point that even the best public diplomacy programs cannot succeed if a country.s policies are rejected by foreign publics. The essay recommends that the director of the public diplomacy program be invited to the table when overall foreign policies are formulated.

Pax Americana or Multilateralism? Reflecting on the United States' Grand Strategic Vision of Hegemony in the Wake of the 11 September Attacks

Fakiolas, E. T., Fakiolas, T. — 2007-11-20

Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United States has been presented with a unique structural opportunity to establish world.scale hegemony. But it was not until after the 11 September terrorist attacks that an American president explicitly set out, under the pretext of the .war on terror,. to pursue hegemony in the form of a Pax Americana, that is, to build a unipolar American security order. Since then, the opposition of the other great powers, mainly of the European Union and in particular of the French.German axis, has proved a powerful stumbling block. Today, in the light of upheavals in Iraq and the US leadership.s inability to deal efficiently with its overcommitment, Pax Americana can be said to come into effect only if Europe falls prey to decay and division or Washington materializes its designs for the construction of an antiballistic missile defense shield. Rather, the key to US hegemony is the establishment of a multipolar American.led international system.

The Permanent "Other"? Turkey and the Question of European Identity

Kosebalaban, H. — 2007-11-20

So far the prospect of Turkey.s accession to the EU has been studied with exclusive reference to Turkey.s progress in meeting the Copenhagen criteria for membership. However, as the recent electoral success of anti.Turkish European political parties and politicians suggests, the issue now is less institutional than cultural. By problematizing European cultural minimalism as the main informant of anti.Turkish opposition, this essay turns the issue of Turkish membership upside down. While in Turkey religiosity does not appear to be a decisive factor in shaping perceptions vis.�.vis Europe, as seen in the massive electoral support given to the Islamist but pro.EU Justice and Development Party (AKP), there is a growing culturally rooted opposition against the idea of Turkish membership in Europe. Why is it that in Europe, which is generally considered behaviorally and attitudinally more secular than Turkey, one observes this opposition against the inclusion of its religious and cultural other? This essay locates the answer to this question in the context of a European common identity.building process in which Turkey has historically played the most decisive role. While rejecting the argument that Turkish.EU relations amount to a clash of civilizations, the essay argues that the process of membership is complicated by a clash of two conflicting definitions of what Europe is and should be. The essay claims that the Turkish side.s double demands of inclusion into Europe and recognition of its distinct cultural identity directly conflict with the minimalist discourse that Europe is the center of civilization into which Turkey is expected to assimilate. While sharing this view during its history of modernization, Turkey, particularly under the AKP government, has grown more self.confident regarding its civilizational authenticty, while remaining supportive of the membership idea. Most Turks now perceive Europe as a geographical zone of opportunity where multiple claims for civilizational authenticity are equally recognized. The essay concludes that resolving the Turkish question, and by extension the question of Europe.s Muslim minority, will be possible only through a new, multicivilizational vision of Europe that confronts the minimalist discourse. Such a vision will enable Europe to emerge as a global power as opposed to an introverted regional player.

The Crisis in Darfur

Miller, M. J. — 2007-11-20

While many cite the February 2003 outbreak of violence in the Darfur region of Sudan as the beginning of what a chorus of international actors are now calling genocide, the conflict in Darfur has quite complicated historical roots. This essay examines the regional, ideological, and historical factors that have helped form the modern Darfur states, focusing particularly on the rise of the Islamist movement in Khartoum. It asserts that understanding these factors is necessary to devise an effective international response to the current crisis in the Darfur region.

Turkey's Constraining Position on Western Reform Initiatives in the Middle East

Sever, A. — 2007-11-20

This essay points out that Turkey.s long.standing democratization steps and its long.running relations with the West can portray Turkey as an appropriate candidate to contribute to any democratization process or initiative in the region whether be it through a Western.originated project or otherwise. Having said that, Turkey.s own domestic shortcomings, like the Kurdish/PKK issue, the ambivilance toward the implementation of secularism in the country, its recently marked vicissitudes in its relations with the EU and the US, the unfavorable regional circumstances such as the worsening conditions in Iraq, and the deepening problems in the Palestinian.Israeli debacle, currently constrain Turkey.s potential to serve the Middle East region in the capacity of soft.security provider by means of creating inspration for democratization and socioeconomic developments.

Tim Weiner: Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. New York: Double-day, 2007. 702 pages. ISBN 978-0-385-51445-3. $27.95.

Pranger, R. J. — 2007-11-20

Bruce Clark: Twice A Stranger: The Mass Expulsions That Forged Modern Greece and Turkey. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2006. 274 pages. ISBN 978-0-674-02368-0. $29.95.

Pagedas, C. A. — 2007-11-20

Joseph S. Joseph, ed.: Turkey and the European Union: Internal Dynamics and External Challenges. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 270 pages. ISBN 0-230-00549-5. $74.95.

Williams, J. M. — 2007-11-20