Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) brutally ruled over a population of eight million... more Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) brutally ruled over a population of eight million in Iraq and Syria. The group systematically persecuted and This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Iraq is home to a patchwork of competing sovereignties with their own security actors, all of whi... more Iraq is home to a patchwork of competing sovereignties with their own security actors, all of which routinely use checkpoints in the provision of ‘security’. However, as this article demonstrates, checkpoints predominantly function to assert authority over space. Utilising 262 interviews with those forced to move through checkpoints in Nineveh, Iraq, and through the development of an analytical framework that focuses on the ‘theft of time’ and the ‘stolen dignity’, this article examines the everyday strain that checkpoints exert on people’s lives. It asks what the control of space by the multiplicity of competing ‘sovereignties’ means for those who must live in and in between these spaces. In doing so the article demonstrates how the impacts of creating borders reverberate way beyond the checkpoint itself, the inequalities it creates and reproduces, and the varied types of loss it fashions.
This research aims to analyze the impact of the United States policy of pressure and sanctions on... more This research aims to analyze the impact of the United States policy of pressure and sanctions on changing Iran's conduct. Since the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, the US has continuously pursued various policies towards Iran, aiming to change the regime by force or isolate it politically and economically. The main research question lies in the following: To what extent does the US pressure policy and its sanctions affect the conduct Iran. This research discusses that the more there are economic and political alternatives to Iran, the more it will be challenging the US demands. Moreover, the more the US pursues a negotiating policy based on mutual interests, the more Iran will positively respond to American demands.
Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external po... more Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external policy in dealing with third countries. This research analyses the EU's external policy regarding the support of democratic and human rights principles, as well as it explores the extent to which the EU is considered to be a promoter of normative principles towards 'third countries' in general and Turkey in particular. It attempts to provide an academic answer to the question of 'To what extent does EU foreign policy have an impact upon the promotion of democracy and human rights in Turkey? It argues that the EU has used the conditionality approach and Copenhagen Criteria as the basis for exerting impact on the Turkish reform process in guaranteeing democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with the EU standards. It concludes that despite the fact that the EU could have used more effective measures in order to produce a better outcome with respect to the Turkish reform process; the EU has played an important role in stimulating political and legal changes in Turkey since 1999.
This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the questi... more This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the question of to what extent the EU was effective in dealing with Iran. It unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness-that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully-and external effectiveness-that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. During these years, the EU focused its attention on various key issue areas, such as human rights, terrorism, and the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie: progress in these areas was set as condition for fuller cooperation. This study discusses that the EU did not speak with one voice and in various instances clashes between EU Member States became evident. It concludes that the EU's low internal effectiveness translated into low external effectiveness and therefore the EU failed to achieve its stated goals.
In the Nineveh Plains, the main concern for youth is their exclusion from decision-making process... more In the Nineveh Plains, the main concern for youth is their exclusion from decision-making processes by both political and community leaders. The Nineveh Plains have yet to fully recover from the various political and economic hardships they experienced under the Islamic State (IS). Yet despite being most affected by these issues, young people have been significantly neglected and/or excluded from decision-making processes, particularly on matters that directly concern them, such as a lack of employment opportunities, lack of community support, lack of freedom of expression, and uncertainty about the future of the region.
This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the E... more This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the EU's actions towards Iran. To do so, it conducts a longitudinal analysisspanning from 1992 to 2015focusing primarily on the nuclear dispute, in which the EU, for many unexpectedly, played a crucial role, particularly in the final period leading to the 2015
Neorealist theories of international relations, particularly when formalized as noncooperative ga... more Neorealist theories of international relations, particularly when formalized as noncooperative games, have difficulty accounting for substantial cooperation between nation-states, perhaps because neorealists have underestimated the role of communication between states. To address this issue, the authors developed an experiment in which nation-states, represented as groups, can communicate. Two groups of three human subjects interacted for 10 iterations of a prisoner's dilemma (PD) game and an altered version of the game. The authors conducted 79 of these 10 iteration trials and tested the effects of communication and a withdrawal option on groups' ability to cooperate. Results indicate that groups cooperate more and defect less when they can communicate. Most groups appear to be motivated by fear of the opponent; communication appears to be a good mechanism for alleviating fear. However, a small but significant number of groups are motivated by greed; communication is not ve...
Proceedings of " Reform and Political Change" Conference, 2021
This research seeks to critically analyze the international efforts, particularly the United Stat... more This research seeks to critically analyze the international efforts, particularly the United States of America, in transforming authoritarian and non-democratic states into democratic ones, and clarify to what extent the US seeks to achieve real democratic change in non-democratic countries, especially Iraq, and whether their main goal is to achieve stability and their vital interests or democratic change and reform. It argues that although spreading democracy and human rights in the Middle East has become, especially after the end of the Cold War, one of the main goals of the US, but, in reality, the US is not ready to sacrifice its vital interests in the region at the expense of spreading democratic values, as well as reducing its strong security and economic relations with its non-democratic allies, or even applying the required pressure on them. Consequently, this increases doubts about the credibility and seriousness of the US in achieving its goal of spreading democracy in the...
This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the questi... more This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the question of to what extent the EU was effective in dealing with Iran. It unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness-that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully-and external effectiveness-that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. During these years, the EU focused its attention on various key issue areas, such as human rights, terrorism, and the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie: progress in these areas was set as condition for fuller cooperation. This study discusses that the EU did not speak with one voice and in various instances clashes between EU Member States became evident. It concludes that the EU's low internal effectiveness translated into low external effectiveness and therefore the EU failed to achieve its stated goals.
This article analyses the EU’s policy towards Iran from 1992–1998. It seeks to address the questi... more This article analyses the EU’s policy towards Iran from 1992–1998. It seeks to address the question of to what extent the EU was effective in dealing with Iran. It unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness—that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully—and external effectiveness—that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. During these years, the EU focused its attention on various key issue areas, such as human rights, terrorism, and the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie: progress in these areas was set as condition for fuller cooperation. This study discusses that the EU did not speak with one voice and in various instances clashes between EU Member States became evident. It concludes that the EU’s low internal effectiveness translated into low external effectiveness and therefore the EU failed to achieve its stated goals.
This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the E... more This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the EU’s actions towards Iran. To do so, it conducts a longitudinal analysis – spanning from 1992 to 2015 – focusing primarily on the nuclear dispute, in which the EU, for many unexpectedly, played a crucial role, particularly in the final period leading to the 2015 landmark agreement. In answering the central research question, this study expands on the concept of effectiveness so far used by scholars interested in the EU’s behaviour in multilateral contexts and applying it to a single country. Moreover, this study unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness – that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully – and external effectiveness – that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. In doing so, the aim is that of contributing to debates on whether and how EU internal effectiv...
Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external po... more Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external policy in dealing with third countries. This research analyses the EU's external policy regarding the support of democratic and human rights principles, as well as it explores the extent to which the EU is considered to be a promoter of normative principles towards 'third countries' in general and Turkey in particular. It attempts to provide an academic answer to the question of 'To what extent does EU foreign policy have an impact upon the promotion of democracy and human rights in Turkey? It argues that the EU has used the conditionality approach and Copenhagen Criteria as the basis for exerting impact on the Turkish reform process in guaranteeing democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with the EU standards. It concludes that despite the fact that the EU could have used more effective measures in order to produce a better outcome with respect to the Turkish reform process; the EU has played an important role in stimulating political and legal changes in Turkey since 1999.
Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) brutally ruled over a population of eight million... more Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) brutally ruled over a population of eight million in Iraq and Syria. The group systematically persecuted and This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Iraq is home to a patchwork of competing sovereignties with their own security actors, all of whi... more Iraq is home to a patchwork of competing sovereignties with their own security actors, all of which routinely use checkpoints in the provision of ‘security’. However, as this article demonstrates, checkpoints predominantly function to assert authority over space. Utilising 262 interviews with those forced to move through checkpoints in Nineveh, Iraq, and through the development of an analytical framework that focuses on the ‘theft of time’ and the ‘stolen dignity’, this article examines the everyday strain that checkpoints exert on people’s lives. It asks what the control of space by the multiplicity of competing ‘sovereignties’ means for those who must live in and in between these spaces. In doing so the article demonstrates how the impacts of creating borders reverberate way beyond the checkpoint itself, the inequalities it creates and reproduces, and the varied types of loss it fashions.
This research aims to analyze the impact of the United States policy of pressure and sanctions on... more This research aims to analyze the impact of the United States policy of pressure and sanctions on changing Iran's conduct. Since the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, the US has continuously pursued various policies towards Iran, aiming to change the regime by force or isolate it politically and economically. The main research question lies in the following: To what extent does the US pressure policy and its sanctions affect the conduct Iran. This research discusses that the more there are economic and political alternatives to Iran, the more it will be challenging the US demands. Moreover, the more the US pursues a negotiating policy based on mutual interests, the more Iran will positively respond to American demands.
Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external po... more Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external policy in dealing with third countries. This research analyses the EU's external policy regarding the support of democratic and human rights principles, as well as it explores the extent to which the EU is considered to be a promoter of normative principles towards 'third countries' in general and Turkey in particular. It attempts to provide an academic answer to the question of 'To what extent does EU foreign policy have an impact upon the promotion of democracy and human rights in Turkey? It argues that the EU has used the conditionality approach and Copenhagen Criteria as the basis for exerting impact on the Turkish reform process in guaranteeing democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with the EU standards. It concludes that despite the fact that the EU could have used more effective measures in order to produce a better outcome with respect to the Turkish reform process; the EU has played an important role in stimulating political and legal changes in Turkey since 1999.
This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the questi... more This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the question of to what extent the EU was effective in dealing with Iran. It unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness-that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully-and external effectiveness-that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. During these years, the EU focused its attention on various key issue areas, such as human rights, terrorism, and the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie: progress in these areas was set as condition for fuller cooperation. This study discusses that the EU did not speak with one voice and in various instances clashes between EU Member States became evident. It concludes that the EU's low internal effectiveness translated into low external effectiveness and therefore the EU failed to achieve its stated goals.
In the Nineveh Plains, the main concern for youth is their exclusion from decision-making process... more In the Nineveh Plains, the main concern for youth is their exclusion from decision-making processes by both political and community leaders. The Nineveh Plains have yet to fully recover from the various political and economic hardships they experienced under the Islamic State (IS). Yet despite being most affected by these issues, young people have been significantly neglected and/or excluded from decision-making processes, particularly on matters that directly concern them, such as a lack of employment opportunities, lack of community support, lack of freedom of expression, and uncertainty about the future of the region.
This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the E... more This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the EU's actions towards Iran. To do so, it conducts a longitudinal analysisspanning from 1992 to 2015focusing primarily on the nuclear dispute, in which the EU, for many unexpectedly, played a crucial role, particularly in the final period leading to the 2015
Neorealist theories of international relations, particularly when formalized as noncooperative ga... more Neorealist theories of international relations, particularly when formalized as noncooperative games, have difficulty accounting for substantial cooperation between nation-states, perhaps because neorealists have underestimated the role of communication between states. To address this issue, the authors developed an experiment in which nation-states, represented as groups, can communicate. Two groups of three human subjects interacted for 10 iterations of a prisoner's dilemma (PD) game and an altered version of the game. The authors conducted 79 of these 10 iteration trials and tested the effects of communication and a withdrawal option on groups' ability to cooperate. Results indicate that groups cooperate more and defect less when they can communicate. Most groups appear to be motivated by fear of the opponent; communication appears to be a good mechanism for alleviating fear. However, a small but significant number of groups are motivated by greed; communication is not ve...
Proceedings of " Reform and Political Change" Conference, 2021
This research seeks to critically analyze the international efforts, particularly the United Stat... more This research seeks to critically analyze the international efforts, particularly the United States of America, in transforming authoritarian and non-democratic states into democratic ones, and clarify to what extent the US seeks to achieve real democratic change in non-democratic countries, especially Iraq, and whether their main goal is to achieve stability and their vital interests or democratic change and reform. It argues that although spreading democracy and human rights in the Middle East has become, especially after the end of the Cold War, one of the main goals of the US, but, in reality, the US is not ready to sacrifice its vital interests in the region at the expense of spreading democratic values, as well as reducing its strong security and economic relations with its non-democratic allies, or even applying the required pressure on them. Consequently, this increases doubts about the credibility and seriousness of the US in achieving its goal of spreading democracy in the...
This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the questi... more This article analyses the EU's policy towards Iran from 1992-1998. It seeks to address the question of to what extent the EU was effective in dealing with Iran. It unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness-that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully-and external effectiveness-that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. During these years, the EU focused its attention on various key issue areas, such as human rights, terrorism, and the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie: progress in these areas was set as condition for fuller cooperation. This study discusses that the EU did not speak with one voice and in various instances clashes between EU Member States became evident. It concludes that the EU's low internal effectiveness translated into low external effectiveness and therefore the EU failed to achieve its stated goals.
This article analyses the EU’s policy towards Iran from 1992–1998. It seeks to address the questi... more This article analyses the EU’s policy towards Iran from 1992–1998. It seeks to address the question of to what extent the EU was effective in dealing with Iran. It unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness—that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully—and external effectiveness—that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. During these years, the EU focused its attention on various key issue areas, such as human rights, terrorism, and the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie: progress in these areas was set as condition for fuller cooperation. This study discusses that the EU did not speak with one voice and in various instances clashes between EU Member States became evident. It concludes that the EU’s low internal effectiveness translated into low external effectiveness and therefore the EU failed to achieve its stated goals.
This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the E... more This study seeks to address the question of what explains variation in the effectiveness of the EU’s actions towards Iran. To do so, it conducts a longitudinal analysis – spanning from 1992 to 2015 – focusing primarily on the nuclear dispute, in which the EU, for many unexpectedly, played a crucial role, particularly in the final period leading to the 2015 landmark agreement. In answering the central research question, this study expands on the concept of effectiveness so far used by scholars interested in the EU’s behaviour in multilateral contexts and applying it to a single country. Moreover, this study unpacks the concept of effectiveness and explores the link between internal effectiveness – that is, whether the EU manages to act cohesively and purposefully – and external effectiveness – that is, whether the EU is able to reach the goals it sets for itself in the international arena. In doing so, the aim is that of contributing to debates on whether and how EU internal effectiv...
Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external po... more Since 1980s, promotion of principles of democracy has been a main element of the EU's external policy in dealing with third countries. This research analyses the EU's external policy regarding the support of democratic and human rights principles, as well as it explores the extent to which the EU is considered to be a promoter of normative principles towards 'third countries' in general and Turkey in particular. It attempts to provide an academic answer to the question of 'To what extent does EU foreign policy have an impact upon the promotion of democracy and human rights in Turkey? It argues that the EU has used the conditionality approach and Copenhagen Criteria as the basis for exerting impact on the Turkish reform process in guaranteeing democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with the EU standards. It concludes that despite the fact that the EU could have used more effective measures in order to produce a better outcome with respect to the Turkish reform process; the EU has played an important role in stimulating political and legal changes in Turkey since 1999.
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the control of space by the multiplicity of competing ‘sovereignties’ means for those who must live in and in between these spaces. In doing so the article demonstrates how the impacts of creating borders reverberate way
beyond the checkpoint itself, the inequalities it creates and reproduces, and the varied types of loss it fashions.
the control of space by the multiplicity of competing ‘sovereignties’ means for those who must live in and in between these spaces. In doing so the article demonstrates how the impacts of creating borders reverberate way
beyond the checkpoint itself, the inequalities it creates and reproduces, and the varied types of loss it fashions.