Hinnesbush & Ehteshami - The foreign policy of Middle Eastern States, Iran and Turkey

Résumé du document

Iran's decision to capture British soldiers may endanger its economic and political links with the European Union and discourage the foreign investments the country needs for the modernization of its economy. Iran's attempt to get the nuclear weapon combined with its declaration about Israel being wiped off the map marginalizes the country on the international stage. Thus Ehteshami might be too optimistic in its conclusion, when he says that Khatamy moderation inheritance will probably last. The negotiation process with the European Union that Turkey pursues reveals more than ever its wish to enter the European Union. However, to do so, Turkey will have to make concessions about its traditional kemalist nationalism, which according to Robins is one of the bases of Turkish identity.

Extraits

[...] Thus Turkey foreign policy can be nothing but particular and rather specific. The context of the state formation and the youthfulness of the regime have also to be kept in mind. We can see with the negociation process with the European Union that Turkey pursues more than ever its wish to enter the European Union. But to do so, Turkey will have to make concessions about its traditionnal kemalist nationalism, which according to Robins is one of the basis of turkish identity. [...]

[...] Hinnesbush & Ehteshami - The foreign policy of Middle Eastern States, Iran and Turkey Chapter 13 : Iran What I found really intersting about this chapter is the idea that Iran foreign policy is always a balance between rationality and ideology, each of them being able to otverthrow the other depending on the circumstances. In the end ideology is even stronger than rationality for even if Iran can put aside rationality, it cannot forgo its islamic identity whithout denying itself. [...]

[...] Hinnesbush could also have add a 4th foreign policy determinant, which would be domestic issues. Indeed domestic issues can lead iranian leaders to instrumentalize foreign policy issues and use them as a loophole, a catalyst to divert the population's attention from domestic problems. Thus Ahmadinejad is clearly using the nuclear topic and the islamic identity in a populist way to create national unity and distract the population from the domestic economic issues he is unable to solve. He is twisting the usual foreign policy determinants to get back the population support, even more since the disastrous council elections of December 2006. [...]