Browsing by Subject "regional"

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Open Access
NATO enlargement and its implications for Turkey
(2001) Çatal, Erdoğan
NATO, which has been throughout the Cold War a collective defense organization, was considered either useless or out of date with the end of the Cold War. However, as it did in the early years of the Cold War, habitually originating from its own dynamics, NATO transformed itself in order to meet the imperatives of the post-Cold War international environment. The geographical enlargement of NATO is the centerpiece of this whole transformation process. It bears implications not only for NATO itself but also for the foreign policy that Euro-Atlantic states follow. The partnership and membership aspects of the geographical enlargement preserved NATO's credibility and served NATO on its way to become a security community, and both aspects ensured NATO's survival. As such, the establishment of relations either through partnership, membership or other way with NATO became the objective of CEE, Balkan, Caucasian, and Central Asian countries, on their way to acquire a democratic, peaceful, and Western identity. In this context, NATO addressed the concerns of a community of 46 states in the Euro-Atlantic region. Meanwhile, on part of Turkey, there appeared some opportunities and setbacks. While consolidating Turkey's western identity on the Caucasus, the Balkans and Central Asia, NATO enlargement brought new concerns to Turkey's agenda regarding regional security as well as Turkey's position in its only and most institutional and functional linkage with the Western Europe and the U.S. After the admission of three new members to NATO in 1999, the pros and cons of a second round of NATO enlargement requires an examination in depth as the decision time gets closer, not only for NATO but also for Turkey.
Open Access
Turkey's political objectives in the Caucasus
(2002) Demirci, Levent
At the beginning of the 1990s, Turkey was under the impression that the collapse of the USSR and the independence of its 15 successor states have provided Turkey opportunities: Having historical and cultural ties with these republics, Turkey would be able to offer its model in Eurasia and make stronger its position in the region. Also, it could expand its influence as a regional power. Finally, Turkish engagement in this region could bring substantial benefit to the Turkish economy. Concomitantly, Western backing for the success of Turkish Model in the region was crucial and the West had backed it because of its strategic considerations. From the NIS standpoint, they turned to Ankara as their principal middleman in integrating into the international system. Today, general landscape is not the same as it was at the beginning of the 1990s. From Turkey’s perspective, ten years have passed since the demise of the Soviet Union, and many of the Turkish expectations have not materialized. When Western information of the region and its economic, cultural and strategic matters increased, and new events took place. And the attractiveness of the Turkish Model or at least the backing of the West for this model weakened.