Iran and Turkey : International and Regional Engagement in the Middle East

"The foreign policies of Turkey and Iran seem increasingly to dictate the course of events in the Middle East. More recently, and especially following the Syrian crisis, the spotlight has turned to these states' dynamic re-entry onto the political stage, revealing them as key players with an international role in efforts towards the balance of power across the region. This book traces the major determinants of Turkish and Iranian foreign policies and their influence on events in the Middle East. Based on an examination of these states' politics and policies since 1979, and using material gathered from interviews with leading political figures from Turkey, Iran and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Marianna Charountaki offers fresh insights into how we understand the contemporary global order. Of particular importance, this book shows, is the effect of both external and internal factors on foreign policy and how the interaction between state and non-state actors informs political decisions. In placing these issues in a theoretical framework, Marianna Charountaki pioneers a new conceptual map within International Relations. An interdisciplinary study that provides a fresh new perspective, this book will be of particular interest to scholars of International Relations, Politics, Foreign Policy, Kurdish and Middle East Studies."--Bloomsbury Publishing Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations 1. Introduction Introduction Literature Review: A Critique Determinants of Turkish – Iranian Relations: A Justification Driving forces of Turkish – Iranian foreign policies Principles influencing foreign policy Factors shaping foreign policy practice Methodology: An Interdisciplinary and Comparative Examination from a Multi-actor Perspective Conclusion 2. Determinants of Iranian–Turkish Relations: A Historical Review Introduction Sunni Ottoman Empire versus Shiite Persian Safavids: Structural parameters The Role of the Elites: Army and Ulama versus Army and Ayatollahs Turkish versus Iranian Republicanism: International Interference as an External Force The Influence of the Cold War on Turkish – Iranian Politics Iran and Turkey in the 1950s and 1970s Islamist Turkey versus Islamic Iran: The Impact of Foreign Policy Principles The National Interest: A generator of stability Laicism versus Islamism Hegemony versus dominance Conclusion 3. Turkey–Iran Relations during the Cold War Introduction The Iranian Revolution and its Impact on the Cold War Non-state Actors as Facilitator of State Foreign Policy The role of Hizbullah and the PKK factor The Kurds of Iraq: A key determinant Iraq as Factor under the Prism of Gulf War I External Interference: The US Role versus Soviet Influence Economics of War: Iranian – Turkish Economic and Political Alliances The shifting balance of power Conclusion 4. Turkish–Iranian Relations in the 1990s: The Impact of Gulf War II and the Consolidation of the Kurdish Status Introduction The Impact of Gulf War II on Turkish – Iranian Relations The role of the leadership as reflected in foreign policy discourse and practice The role of Iraq: External mediation and direct use of force Dimensions of political economy KRG and PKK: Determinants of foreign policy Gulf War II and its Aftermath: The Role of the Kurds Conclusion 5. The Iraq War and the Rise of Non-state Actors (2001–2010) Introduction The Role of Iraq in the Formulation of Turkish – Iranian Relations: Political and Economic Considerations Non-state Actors in Iranian and Turkish Foreign Policies: The Kurds as a Force for Change The Iranian versus the Turkish Model Energy politics Foreign policy and security Iranian – Turkish Rapprochement: International and Regional Structures Epilogue: Towards a Conceptual Analysis Conclusion 6. Turkish–Iranian Relations under the Lens of the Syrian Crisis: A New Era for Middle Eastern Politics Introduction The Syrian Factor The role of external interference in the Syrian crisis The Army: A continuous institutional power Kurdistan between Iran and Turkey: Implications of the War on Islamic State Energy politics: The Kurds – a bridge between Iran and Turkey The Kurdish role in the Iranian and Turkish responses to the Syrian crisis Conclusion 7. Conclusions and Conceptualisations Introduction Empirical and Conceptual Implications A New Pattern of Alliances: The International Dimension The Kurds: A determinant in regional restructuring A changing balance of power: Instruments of transformation Sunni – Shia conflict: A clash of interests Economic parameters Theoretical Framework: A Model of Multi-dimensional Interrelations Conclusion Appendix KCK Structure Notes Bibliography Index