Browsing by Subject "Eurasia"
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Item Open Access An action research report on the rising democracy discourse in 2000's Turkey: does Eros contour the demos?(Elsevier, 2007) Cindoglu, D.; Boynukara, A.; Akyuz, S.; Bekaroğlu, E. A.This article conceptualizes gender equity and sexual liberty issues that most of the literature on democracy and democratization in Turkey fails to address. The major focus of the article is on the convergent and divergent positions of the rising democratization discourse in contemporary Turkey. When the democratization discourses of different political groups are analyzed, we see that the convergent points consist of legal and constitutional changes that aim at political and economic liberalization, while the divergent points include liberalization in the private sphere and engaging in gender equity and sexual liberty issues. Therefore, we argue that it is crucial to analyze gender equity and sexual liberty issues with more dynamic concepts such as globalization and the EU accession process of Turkey rather than the essentialist ones like Islam.Item Open Access Azerbaijan's foreign policy and challenges for energy security(Middle East Institute, 2009) Ipek, P.This article examines Azerbaijan's foreign policy by demonstrating the interplay between the oil-led development process and early post-independence regional conflicts that enforced a Western orientation in the country's foreign policy. It is argued that geopolitics continue to prevail in the strategic goals of Azerbaijan. However, the new challenges in the emerging framework of energy security, which extends beyond the revitalized geopolitical rivalries and preeminent concern over securing energy supplies, put Azerbaijan's foreign policy at a crossroads and require a new trans-Atlantic partnership to promote human security and to manage the risk entailed in the unpredictable policy environments of the Caspian region.Item Open Access Banking activities and local output growth: does distance from centre matter?(Routledge, 2008) Özyildirim, S.; Önder, Z.Banking activities and local output growth: does distance from centre matter? Regional Studies. In this paper the relation between local banking activities and local output growth is empirically studied in Turkey during the period 1991-2000. Although there is no legal restriction against regional banking, the banking sector is spatially concentrated in Turkey. In this institutional structure, the distance between headquarters and the local branches is argued to affect the role of financial intermediation in the development of provincial prosperity. Empirical findings suggest that banking activities have a significant positive impact on the per capita local output growth of regions, especially on those that are distant from the financial centre. However, when bank loans are adjusted to the size of the local economy (provincial gross domestic product, GDP), the relation between banking activities and the output per capita is found to be negative, suggesting that these loans are used to finance unprofitable and unproductive projects in distant provinces.Item Open Access Clash of interest over northern Iraq drives Turkish-Israeli alliance to a crossroads(Middle East Institute, 2005) Kibaroglu, M.Turkey and Israel enjoyed an almost perfect relationship throughout the 1990s that amazed their friends, yet bothered their rivals. The US war in Iraq revealed, however, that the two longstanding allies did indeed have contradictory objectives and concerns with respect to the future restructuring of Iraq. While Turkey fears the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq, the same possibility seems favorable for Israel from its security standpoint, vis-à-vis threats posed by countries like Iran, Pakistan, and beyond. It appears that the "amazing alliance" is heading toward a crossroads. Such an eventuality may change the nature of the relationship from a "win-win" to a "lose-lose" situation unless proper steps are rapidly taken with a view toward rebuilding confidence on both sides.Item Open Access Cognitive and emotional representations of terror attacks: a cross-cultural exploration(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, 2007) Shiloh, S.; Güvenç, G.; Önkal D.A questionnaire measuring cognitive and affective representations of terror risk was developed and tested in Turkey and Israel. Participants in the study were university students from the two countries (n = 351). Four equivalent factors explained terror risk cognitions in each sample: costs, vulnerability, trust, and control. A single negative emotionality factor explained the affective component of terror risk representations in both samples. All factors except control could be measured reliably. Results supported the validity of the questionnaire by showing expected associations between cognitions and emotions, as well as indicating gender differences and cultural variations. Current findings are discussed in relation to previous results, theoretical approaches, and practical implications.Item Open Access Constructing Turkish “exceptionalism”: Discourses of liminality and hybridity in post-Cold War Turkish foreign policy(Elsevier, 2011-02) Yanık, L. K.This article examines the discursive practices that enable the construction of Turkish “exceptionalism.” It argues that in an attempt to play the mediator/peacemaker role as an emerging power, the Turkish elite construct an “exceptionalist” identity that portrays Turkey in a liminal state. This liminality and thus the “exceptionalist” identity it creates, is rooted in the hybridization of Turkey’s geographical and historical characteristics. The Turkish foreign policy elite make every effort to underscore Turkey’s geography as a meeting place of different continents. Historically, there has also been an ongoing campaign to depict Turkey’s past as “multicultural” and multi-civilizational. These constructions of identity however, run counter to the Kemalist nation-building project, which is based on “purity” in contrast to “hybridity” both in terms of historiography and practice.Item Open Access Denomination composition of trade and trade balance: evidence from Turkey(Routledge, 2005) Berument, Hakan; Dincer, N.The currency denominations of a country's exports and imports are not necessarily the same. If this is the case, then a change in the exchange rate parity among major currencies will affect the trade balance. The empirical evidence provided from Turkey - where exports are mostly denominated in Euros and imports are mostly denominated in USD - suggests that an appreciation of the Euro against the USD would increase the output in the long-run, appreciate the local currency and improve the trade balance for the 1985:01 2003:07 period. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.Item Open Access The dynamics of a newly floating exchange rate: the Turkish case(Routledge, 2006) Ardıç, O. P.; Selçuk, F.In recent years, many emerging market economies have switched or are in the process of switching to a floating exchange rate regime. Most of these economies have a history of high inflation and a high level of foreign currency denominated debt. Therefore, the stability of the exchange rate and the dynamics of its volatility are more crucial than before. This paper analyses the dynamics of exchange rate in Turkey in the aftermath of recent float in February 2001. The Turkish experience is a particularly important one, and provides valuable lessons for other countries as the Central Bank is trying to simultaneously contain the volatility of exchange rate and pursue an implicit inflation targeting policy. The reported findings indicate that the Central Bank policies, accompanied with favourable external factors, were effective in taming the volatility of the exchange rate in a relatively short period of time. However, there is a significant real appreciation of the currency during the same period. Given the high level of public debt and real interest rates, the current state of the economy is very susceptible to any adverse shocks. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.Item Open Access The effect of foreign income on economic performance of a small-open economy: evidence from Turkey(Routledge, 2004) Berument, Hakan; Kilinc, Z.The effect of a shock in the foreign economic performance on the domestic economy is an attractive research area. It has consistently been found that this effect is non-negligible. However, the countries examined are mostly developed countries. In this study, the effects of a shock in foreign economy on the economic performance of Turkey are examined. The estimates suggest that a positive shock in the foreign economy positively affects Turkish output, increases the inflation rate, and appreciates the real exchange rate. © 2004 Taylor and Francis Ltd.Item Open Access The effect of property rights on the relationship between economic growth and pollution for transition economies(2007) Solakoglu, E.G.The paper measures changes in environmental quality in transition countries from 1987 to 2000 because of economic growth and environmental reforms. Indication of property rights may accelerate the growth process, as well as the composition effect on the environment. Thus, we compare transition countries that are not yet members of the European Union offering poorly defined property rights with EU-member transition countries offering better-defined property rights. We find that although EU-member transition countries exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship between pollution intensity and economic growth, with a turning point at $5,710, non EU-member transition countries do not support such a relation. © 2007 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved.Item Open Access The effects of exchange rate risk on economic performance: the Turkish experience(Routledge, 2004) Berument, Hakan; Dincer, N. N.This study examines the effects of real exchange rate risk on the economic performance for an emerging, small open economy: Turkey. When the ratios of the total foreign exchange liabilities of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) to: (1) total reserves; (2) the CBRT's reserves; and (3) the CBRT's total Turkish lira liabilities are taken proxy of exchange rate risk, the empirical evidence suggests that the increase in exchange rate risk causes a depreciation in the real exchange rate, an increase in prices and a decrease in output. © 2004 Taylor and Francis Ltd.Item Open Access The effects of Japanese economic performance on Indonesia(Routledge, 2006) Berument, Hakan; Ceylan, N. B.; Vural, B.This paper assesses how Japanese economic performance affects the Indonesian economy for the 1988 to 2004 period. The empirical evidence provided here suggests that Japanese growth appreciates the local currency in real terms, decreases the inflation and increases growth. As a side issue, we also documented that real exchange rate depreciation accelerates inflation and decreases growth in Indonesia. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.Item Open Access Effects of the real exchange rate on output and inflation: evidence from Turkey(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2003) Berument, Hakan; Pasaogullari, M.This paper assesses the effects of real depreciation on the economic performance of Turkey by considering quarterly data from 1987:I to 2001:III. The empirical evidence suggests that, contrary to classical wisdom, the real depreciations are contractionary, even when external factors like world interest rates, international trade, and capital flows are controlled. Moreover, the results obtained from the analyses indicate that real exchange rate depreciations are inflationary.Item Open Access The effects of transition and political instability on foreign direct investment inflows: Central Europe and the Balkans(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2006) Brada, J. C.; Kutan, A. M.; Yigit, T. M.This paper examines the effects of transition and of political instability on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the transition economies of Central Europe, the Baltics and the Balkans. We find that FDI flows to transition economies unaffected by conflict and political instability exceed those that would be expected for comparable West European countries. Success with stabilization and reform increased the volume of FDI inflows. In the case of Balkan counties, conflict and instability reduced FDI inflows below what one would expect for comparable West European countries, and reform and stabilization failures further reduced FDI to the region. Thus, we find that the economic costs of instability in the Balkans in terms of foregone FDI have been quite high. © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.Item Open Access Effects of USD-Euro parity on a small open economy: evidence from Turkey(Routledge, 2008) Berument, Hakan; Yucel, E. M.This study assesses the effect of USD-Euro parity on a small open economy where exports are predominantly denominated in Euros and imports are denominated in USD. Empirical evidence from Turkey suggests that a positive change in the USD value of the Euro appreciates the local currency, decreases inflation and increases output.Item Open Access Emergent local initiative and the city: the case of neighbourhood associations of the better-off classes in post-1990 urban Turkey(Sage Publications Ltd., 2007) Erman, T.; Yıldar, M. C.This article investigates the voluntary local organisations of the better-off classes in the Turkish urban context. Based on empirical research conducted with four neighbourhood associations (NAs), information is provided regarding their process of establishment, leadership, autonomy, goals and projects, resources and obstacles, which points to the significance of context. The research demonstrates that Turkish NAs differ from those in the West in terms of their commitment to ideological as much as pragmatic issues. In their response to the 'Islamist' versus 'secularist' polarisation in society, they seek to create their own localities as the places of secular and cosmopolitan people; and in their response to the increasingly unregulated and poorly serviced city, they struggle to create orderly localities protected from unlawful rent-seeking practices and equipped with adequate amenities. The NAs may be regarded as civic initiatives that empower the locality. Yet, by doing so, they may cause uneven development in urban space.Item Open Access Environment Kuznets curve for CO2 emissions: a cointegration analysis for China(Elsevier Ltd, 2009) Jalil, A.; Mahmud, S. F.This study examines the long-run relationship between carbon emissions and energy consumption, income and foreign trade in the case of China by employing time series data of 1975-2005. In particular the study aims at testing whether environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) relationship between CO2 emissions and per capita real GDP holds in the long run or not. Auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) methodology is employed for empirical analysis. A quadratic relationship between income and CO2 emission has been found for the sample period, supporting EKC relationship. The results of Granger causality tests indicate one way causality runs through economic growth to CO2 emissions. The results of this study also indicate that the carbon emissions are mainly determined by income and energy consumption in the long run. Trade has a positive but statistically insignificant impact on CO2 emissions. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Item Open Access The European Union, the Turkish military and democracy(Routledge, 2005) Heper, M.The military in Turkey has been both the subject and the object of modernization as Westernization. In the process it came to occupy a prominent place in the Turkish polity, acting as the guardian of the premises upon which the Turkish Republic was based. In the post-1960 period it took power into own hands several times. Yet, the military interventions in question were made to 'save the democracy from itself' and not for the purpose of setting up a long-term military rule. Over the years, the military became less enthusiastic about intervening in politics. In recent years, the military's extrication from politics altogether gained a new momentum as a consequence of Turkey's bid to become a full member of the EU. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.Item Open Access Future of Turkey in the European Union(Elsevier, 2005-05) Güney, A.Turkey’s future in the European Union (EU) is a subject of intense debate both in Europe and in Turkey today. Although Turkey first applied to join the EU 45 years ago, it is the only candidate country, which has not yet started accession negotiations. On the one hand, any future enlargement that includes Turkey is a controversial topic for the EU, since Turkey would be the only Muslim member in the EU, which has accepted 10 new members in May 2004. On the other hand, it is too late to exclude Turkey from the future of the EU since it has put the issue of the EU accession at the top of its national agenda and is the only candidate country that has completed the Customs Union with the EU. This article aims to explore future scenarios regarding Turkey’s inclusion to or exclusion from the EU and assess their short and long term implications.Item Open Access Future of Turkey-EU relations: a civilisational discourse(Pergamon Press, 2005) Tekin, A.Should or can Turkey join the European Union (EU)? This paper argues that there are three alternative scenarios of the EU decision to grant membership to Turkey: 'privileged relationship offer,' 'wait and see attitude,' and 'start of full membership negotiations.' It then gauges each alternative path, and argues that the most likely scenario is a decision to start the negotiations, followed by the scenario of 'wait and see.' The EU decision will be conditioned by its future vision of global governance and the role foreseen for Turkey inside, outside or at the margin of it. The paper concludes that the EU decision will have significant implications for the future of relations between Europe and Turkey on the one hand, and Europe and the Islamic world on the other.
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