Kemalist Turkey and the Middle East: International Relations in the Interwar Period

by Amit Bein

To better understand the lasting legacy of international relations in the post-Ottoman Middle East, we must first re-examine Turkey's engagement with the region during the interwar period. Long assumed to be a period of deliberate disengagement and ruptured ties between Turkey and its neighbours, Amit Bein instead argues that in the volatile 1930s, Turkey was in fact perceived as taking steps towards increasing its regional prominence. Bein examines the unstable situation along Turkey's Middle Eastern borders, the bilateral diplomatic relations Ankara established with fledgling governments in the region, grand plans for transforming Turkey into a major transit hub for Middle Eastern and Eurasian transportation and trade, and Ankara's effort to enhance its image as a model for modernization of non-Western societies. Through this, he offers a fresh, enlightening perspective on the Kemalist legacy that still resonates in the modern politics of the region today.

304 pages, Hardcover

Published December 12, 2017

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong recommend if you are interested in the history of international relations. We get coverage both of the official doctrine of defensive realism at the time along with its partial exceptions, the soft power outreach from Ankara to the Middle East, and the difficulties caused with the region due to some ideological and historical grievances as well as the complicated process of the ultimately peaceful annexation of Hatay.

One will find many familiar place names mentioned as former claims of the old national pact that some in Turkey wanted to still go for, as well as the reasons why such a push didn't happen. There is also a nice concluding chapter that does a bit of compare/contrast with the present day governments approach to the region.