{"title":"From Allies to Adversaries: The Impact of Identity Change on Turkish–Israeli Relations","authors":"Nurlan Muminov","doi":"10.1111/dome.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>20世纪90年代末, 土耳其和以色列建立了战略合作关系, 这种关系在2000年后恶化, 尤其是在2008年以色列在加沙实施“铸铅行动”之后。现有文献虽然研究了土以关系的若干影响因素, 包括其历史根源和不同方面, 但几乎没有研究聚焦于国家身份变化和自我形象的作用。通过分析身份认同变化作为这种关系中一个关键但经常被忽视的因素, 本文试图解释从合作到冲突的转变。本文论证, 土耳其的国家认同在正义与发展党(JDP)时代发生了重大变化, 这对21世纪初的土以冲突作贡献。在简要述评了有关国际关系中国家认同变化的文献后, 本文分析了一系列随时间推移而改变土耳其国家认同的政治因素。本文随后通过四个案例研究, 阐明了身份认同转变对土以关系的影响, 包括1996年的《军事训练合作协定》、2008年以色列在加沙发起的“铸铅行动”、2009年的“达沃斯事件”、2010年的“蓝色马尔马拉”号危机、以及早期的“阿拉伯之春”。最后, 本文分析了这些案例研究对未来土以关系的启示。</p><p>A finales de la década de 1990, Türkiye e Israel establecieron una relación de cooperación estratégica que se deterioró después del año 2000, en particular tras la “Operación Plomo Fundido” de Israel en Gaza en 2008. Si bien la literatura existente ha examinado varios factores que influyen en las relaciones entre Túrkiye e Israel, incluyendo sus raíces históricas y diversas dimensiones, pocos se han centrado en el papel del cambio de identidad estatal y la autoimagen. Este artículo busca explicar la transición de la cooperación al conflicto examinando el cambio de identidad como un factor crucial, pero a menudo descuidado, en esta relación. El artículo argumenta que la identidad estatal de Türkiye experimentó un cambio significativo durante la era del Partido de la Justicia y el Desarrollo (JDP), lo que contribuyó al conflicto entre Türkiye e Israel desde finales de la década de 2000. Después de revisar brevemente la literatura sobre el cambio de identidad estatal en las relaciones internacionales, el artículo examina los factores políticos que cambiaron la identidad estatal de Türkiye a lo largo del tiempo. El artículo presenta cuatro estudios de caso que ilustran el impacto de este cambio de identidad en las relaciones entre Türkiye e Israel, incluyendo el Acuerdo de Cooperación para el Entrenamiento Militar de 1996, la Operación Plomo Fundido de Israel en Gaza en 2008, el incidente de Davos en 2009, la crisis del Mavi Mármara de 2010 y los inicios de la Primavera Árabe. Finalmente, el artículo concluye analizando las implicaciones de estos estudios de caso para el futuro de las relaciones entre Türkiye e Israel.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"34 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Neo-Mercantilist Nexus: China's Geoeconomics Strategy in the Middle East—Discourse and Practice","authors":"Riya Sultana, Ronen A. Cohen","doi":"10.1111/dome.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a cornerstone of its hybrid neo-mercantilist geoeconomics strategy, reshaping the Middle East's geopolitical and economic landscape. This research explores how the BRI enables China to secure energy resources, expand trade networks, and establish strategic infrastructure, thereby advancing its global ambitions in a multipolar world. Unlike traditional Western military-diplomatic approaches, China leverages economic engagement to fill the void left by US retrenchment, competing with powers like Russia, the EU, and India. Focusing on Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE, this study examines how China's economic policies influence regional power dynamics and align with its broader geopolitical ambitions. This research addresses two key questions: To what extent does the BRI redefine China's role in the Middle East compared to other external powers? And does China's growing economic entanglement in the region signal a shift from its traditional noninterference policy toward a more pragmatic and interventionist approach? Using a mixed-methods framework that combines qualitative analysis of policy documents with quantitative evaluation of trade flows and investment patterns, this study concludes that although the BRI strengthens China's regional influence, it also introduces vulnerabilities that may compel a recalibration of its foreign policy. The findings highlight how neo-mercantilism underpins China's evolving role in the Middle East and its impact on global power dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"34 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dome.70001","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143827039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Authoritarianism and the Emergence of Parallel State Dynamics: Evidence From the Syrian Earthquake","authors":"Rahaf Aldoughli","doi":"10.1111/dome.12347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12347","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article investigates the Syrian regime's strategic manipulation of the February 2023 earthquake to reaffirm its authority and maintain legitimacy. The regime's response to the disaster is analyzed to understand how authoritarian states leverage natural disasters for political gains. It argues that the Assad regime's survival is not merely about governance capabilities but about extending its infrastructural power and political decisions through co-opted civil society organizations. The earthquake highlighted the regime's fragile crisis management capabilities and its reliance on entities like the Syrian Trust for Development (STD) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), which function as quasi-state apparatuses. These organizations, under the guise of civil society, operate as extensions of state power, embodying a “parallel state” structure. Using theoretical frameworks from scholars like Beshara and Gramsci, the article explores the regime's tactics of control, hegemony, and parallelization. It critically examines the blurred lines between state and civil society, emphasizing the regime's manipulation of international aid and the consolidation of its authority in the aftermath of the earthquake. This study contributes to the broader conversation on authoritarian durability, highlighting the complex interactions between state apparatuses and civil society in times of crisis.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dome.12347","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143121103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Internationalization of Deterrence: The Case Study of Iran's Biaxial Deterrence in the Middle East\u0000 威慑的国际化:以伊朗在中东的双轴威慑为例\u0000 La internacionalización de la disuasión: el caso de estudio de la disuasión biaxial de Irán en Oriente Medio","authors":"Rahim Baizidi","doi":"10.1111/dome.12350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12350","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The concept of deterrence is central to both international relations and strategic studies, as it endeavors to establish peace through the “threat to reciprocal retaliation.” The Cold War era as the golden age of nuclear deterrence revealed that even the most powerful states are enthusiastic to transfer part of their strategic and military capabilities, such as nuclear weapons, to other states to countering potential threats. By presenting the concept of “internationalization of deterrence,” this article addresses the implementation of Iran's biaxial deterrence in the Middle East. Internationalizing deterrence entails the transfer of military and security capabilities from a deterrent power to allied and cooperative nations, thereby enhancing both the effectiveness and credibility of deterrence measures. The internationalization of deterrence encompasses a variety of strategies, including nuclear sharing, the creation of military bases in foreign countries, the backing of allied groups, and the overseas deployment of missiles. Biaxial deterrence is also an element of Iran's internationalized deterrence strategy, focusing on two interconnected dimensions: aligned groups—protégés—and advancing of their conventional weapons capabilities in the Middle East. Through internationalization of its conventional deterrence, Iran has sought to enhance its deterrent capabilities and credibility while minimizing costs and maximizing effectiveness.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143114583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}