My research and teaching interests focus on Islam, nationalism, identity, foreign policy analysis and Postcolonial Politics with particular reference to the Middle East, North Africa, Eurasia and Turkey.
Web site: www.dd-rd.ca Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution cre... more Web site: www.dd-rd.ca Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote democratic development and to advocate for and defend human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing countries.
Looking through the lens of critical geopolitics, the article challenges Turkey’s so-called ‘brid... more Looking through the lens of critical geopolitics, the article challenges Turkey’s so-called ‘bridge’ position and the binary opposition of Europe and Asia by arguing that the vision of Turkish foreign policy has been imagined geographically and geopositioned contextually. In this article, for the first time, I apply the term ‘geopositioning’ to describe Turkey’s ‘in-between’ geographical location between Europe and Asia by evaluating geostrategic, geoeconomics and geopolitical variables together from a new perspective. I argue that Turkey’s evolving foreign policy towards Eurasia is a consequence of the Ankara governments’ search for an alternative vision that led to geopositioning in post-Cold War international relations. Therefore, the article critically analyses whether the goals of Turkish foreign policy were shaped by material or ideational interests and how they influenced Turkey’s geopositioning in Eurasia. For the last two decades, the change of traditional Turkish foreign policy by evolving multi-dimensionally and engaging actively in the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa has been the empirical evidence of such geopositioning. After describing a new theoretical framework in the introduction and summarizing emerging opportunities in post-Cold War international politics, the second part examines the implementation of multidimensional foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) leadership since 2002. The article concludes that the geopositioning of Turkey in the twenty-first century has been shaped by both material and ideational interests and evolved paradoxically around collaboration and competition with Russia, China, and Iran.
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf ... more Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
National identities are socially constructed and inherently relational, such that collective imag... more National identities are socially constructed and inherently relational, such that collective imagination depends on a dialectical opposition to another identity. The ontology of otherness becomes the necessary basis of social imagination. National identity can hardly be imagined without a narrative of myths, and the Turkish nation is no exception. This article argues that the Turkish nation was imagined as a modern nation with territorial sovereignty after the erosion of traditional Ottoman umma (religious community) identity. During the process of this imagination, the Armenians became the first 'others', whose claims over eastern Anatolia were perceived as a real threat to Turkish territoriality and identity. Based on the analysis of modernist theories of nationalism, the methodological concern of this study is twofold: to explore the causal link between the policies of Ottoman modernisation and the emergence of Turkish nationalism; and to incorporate the self and other nexus into the relationship between the emergence of Turkish nationalism and the process of 'othering' the Armenians.
Gol, Ayla. (2002). Azseri Ulusal Kimliginin Yapilandirilmasindaki Sorunlar - “The Difficulties of... more Gol, Ayla. (2002). Azseri Ulusal Kimliginin Yapilandirilmasindaki Sorunlar - “The Difficulties of Constructing Azeri National Identity”. Turk Cumhuriyetleri, 10, 333-346
... However, a new era in US-Russian relations can be built on three common strate ... Game m Cen... more ... However, a new era in US-Russian relations can be built on three common strate ... Game m Central Asia and the Caucasus, which had only increased the risk of confrontation ... 907 has opened up new pos-sibilities for bilateral programmes between the US, Azerbaijan and Armenia ...
Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'The requirements of European international society: Modernity and national... more Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'The requirements of European international society: Modernity and nationalism in the Ottoman Empire, Department of International Relations (RSPAS: Australian National University).
Gol, Ayla. (2002). The New NATO and opportunities for establishing security in the Caucasus after... more Gol, Ayla. (2002). The New NATO and opportunities for establishing security in the Caucasus after 11 September. Insight Turkey, 4(3), 103-118.
Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'Turkey’s Euro-vision', National Europe Centre Paper No. 107, The Natio... more Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'Turkey’s Euro-vision', National Europe Centre Paper No. 107, The National Europe Centre, ANU (4 July 2003)
Introduction 1. Foreign policy and transitional states 2. The Turkish transition and alternative ... more Introduction 1. Foreign policy and transitional states 2. The Turkish transition and alternative modernity 3. Modernity, nationalism and Islamic identity 4. Challenges of nationalist foreign policy 5. New rules engagement between Ankara and Moscow in the East 6. The Turkish question: Islamist, communist or nationalist? 7. The recognition of the modern Turkish state Conclusion Appendices Bibliography Index
The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the ... more The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the global international society. Imagining the Middle East as a 'unique' region is not a new idea, but relocating this conception within the English School (ES) of International Relations (IR) is. This article challenges the perceived 'exceptionalism' of the Middle East, which claims that the European concepts of state, sovereignty and nationalism are alien to Islam, therefore preventing the emergence of a regional international society. The first part highlights the correlation between Eurocentrism in IR and the lack of interest in regionalareastudies through the critique of Orientalism and the ES. The second part moves to demonstrate why the ES is more explanatory than other IR theories in the context of the Ottoman-European relations. The third part explores the 'institutional distinctiveness' of the Middle East, disproving the notion of regional 'exceptionalism' and IR's foundational Eurocentric assumptions. This article concludes by arguing that there is a strong case for calling the Middle East a 'regional interstate society', which remains to be a litmus test of whether or not a truly global international society is possible.
Turkey facing east is about the importance of Turkey’s relations with its Eastern neighbours – Az... more Turkey facing east is about the importance of Turkey’s relations with its Eastern neighbours – Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Soviet Union – during the emergence of the modern Turkish nation-state from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. The principal strength of this book is that it not only combines historical and theoretical arguments in order to provide a better understanding of the foreign relations of a predominantly Muslim country from a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, but it also applies the new approach to the analysis of Turkish foreign policy towards the South Caucasus between 1918 and 1921. Hence, it stands out with its original interdisciplinary approach to the Turkish transition and foreign policy-making that offers perspectives on the extant possibilities for the particular transitional states resulting from the Arab spring uprisings.
The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the ... more The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the global international society. Imagining the Middle East as a ‘unique’ region is not a new idea, but relocating this conception within the English School (ES) of International Relations (IR) is. This article challenges the perceived ‘exceptionalism’ of the Middle East, which claims that the European concepts of state, sovereignty and nationalism are alien to Islam, therefore preventing the emergence of a regional international society. The first part highlights the correlation between Eurocentrism in IR and the lack of interest in regional – area – studies through the critique of Orientalism and the ES. The second part moves to demonstrate why the ES is more explanatory than other IR theories in the context of the Ottoman–European relations. The third part explores the ‘institutional distinctiveness’ of the Middle East, disproving the notion of regional ‘exceptionalism’ and IR’s foundational Eurocentric assumptions. This article concludes by arguing that there is a strong case for calling the Middle East a ‘regional interstate society’, which remains to be a litmus test of whether or not a truly global international society is possible.
Ayla Göl’ün Turkey Facing East: Islam, Modernity and Foreign Policy kitabının çıkış noktasını Tür... more Ayla Göl’ün Turkey Facing East: Islam, Modernity and Foreign Policy kitabının çıkış noktasını Türk dış politikası tarihini Türkiye’nin Batı ile olan ilişkilerine endekslemiş yazına karşı olan eleştirisi oluştur- maktadır. Yazar, bu haklı eleştirisinde, Türk dış politikası anlatılarının özellikle Kurtuluş Savaşı yıl- larına ilişkin değerlendirmelerinde, genelde yeni kurulmakta olan Türkiye’nin sadece “Batı” ile olan ilişkilerini mercek altına almasının modern Türkiye’nin kuruluşunda “Doğu” yani Bolşevik rejimi ve Ermenistan ile ilişkiler konusunda neredeyse sessiz kalmasının çok sorunlu olduğunu söylemektedir. Böyle bir yok sayma temelde üç etmeni görmemekten gelmek anlamına gelmektedir ve Göl kitabın- da bu üç temel etmenin ne kadar önemli olduğunu göstermeye çalışmaktadır. Öncellikle, Göl’e göre, “Batı Odaklı” diyebileceğimiz bu dış politika anlatısı aslında Türkiye’nin “İslami bir İmparatorluk’tan modern bir devlete” dönüşümünde “Doğu”nun yani Bolşevik rejimin ve de Ermenistan’la olan ilişki- lerin oynadığı önemli rolü gözden kaçırmaktadır. Yani, yine Göl’e göre Türk Dış politikası yazınında, özellikle de modern Türkiye’nin kuruluş yıllarında, devamlı olarak tekrarlanan “Batı’ya yönelim” kadar “Doğu’ya yönelim” de önemlidir. Çünkü Ankara hükümetinin egemenliğinin tanınması ve dolayısıy- la da Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’ndan modern Türkiye’nin doğuşunu sağlayan olay aslında Türkiye’nin doğu sınırının belirlenerek güvence altına alınması ve bunun Bolşevik rejim tarafından tasdik edilme- sidir.
Web site: www.dd-rd.ca Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution cre... more Web site: www.dd-rd.ca Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote democratic development and to advocate for and defend human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing countries.
Looking through the lens of critical geopolitics, the article challenges Turkey’s so-called ‘brid... more Looking through the lens of critical geopolitics, the article challenges Turkey’s so-called ‘bridge’ position and the binary opposition of Europe and Asia by arguing that the vision of Turkish foreign policy has been imagined geographically and geopositioned contextually. In this article, for the first time, I apply the term ‘geopositioning’ to describe Turkey’s ‘in-between’ geographical location between Europe and Asia by evaluating geostrategic, geoeconomics and geopolitical variables together from a new perspective. I argue that Turkey’s evolving foreign policy towards Eurasia is a consequence of the Ankara governments’ search for an alternative vision that led to geopositioning in post-Cold War international relations. Therefore, the article critically analyses whether the goals of Turkish foreign policy were shaped by material or ideational interests and how they influenced Turkey’s geopositioning in Eurasia. For the last two decades, the change of traditional Turkish foreign policy by evolving multi-dimensionally and engaging actively in the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa has been the empirical evidence of such geopositioning. After describing a new theoretical framework in the introduction and summarizing emerging opportunities in post-Cold War international politics, the second part examines the implementation of multidimensional foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) leadership since 2002. The article concludes that the geopositioning of Turkey in the twenty-first century has been shaped by both material and ideational interests and evolved paradoxically around collaboration and competition with Russia, China, and Iran.
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf ... more Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
National identities are socially constructed and inherently relational, such that collective imag... more National identities are socially constructed and inherently relational, such that collective imagination depends on a dialectical opposition to another identity. The ontology of otherness becomes the necessary basis of social imagination. National identity can hardly be imagined without a narrative of myths, and the Turkish nation is no exception. This article argues that the Turkish nation was imagined as a modern nation with territorial sovereignty after the erosion of traditional Ottoman umma (religious community) identity. During the process of this imagination, the Armenians became the first 'others', whose claims over eastern Anatolia were perceived as a real threat to Turkish territoriality and identity. Based on the analysis of modernist theories of nationalism, the methodological concern of this study is twofold: to explore the causal link between the policies of Ottoman modernisation and the emergence of Turkish nationalism; and to incorporate the self and other nexus into the relationship between the emergence of Turkish nationalism and the process of 'othering' the Armenians.
Gol, Ayla. (2002). Azseri Ulusal Kimliginin Yapilandirilmasindaki Sorunlar - “The Difficulties of... more Gol, Ayla. (2002). Azseri Ulusal Kimliginin Yapilandirilmasindaki Sorunlar - “The Difficulties of Constructing Azeri National Identity”. Turk Cumhuriyetleri, 10, 333-346
... However, a new era in US-Russian relations can be built on three common strate ... Game m Cen... more ... However, a new era in US-Russian relations can be built on three common strate ... Game m Central Asia and the Caucasus, which had only increased the risk of confrontation ... 907 has opened up new pos-sibilities for bilateral programmes between the US, Azerbaijan and Armenia ...
Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'The requirements of European international society: Modernity and national... more Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'The requirements of European international society: Modernity and nationalism in the Ottoman Empire, Department of International Relations (RSPAS: Australian National University).
Gol, Ayla. (2002). The New NATO and opportunities for establishing security in the Caucasus after... more Gol, Ayla. (2002). The New NATO and opportunities for establishing security in the Caucasus after 11 September. Insight Turkey, 4(3), 103-118.
Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'Turkey’s Euro-vision', National Europe Centre Paper No. 107, The Natio... more Gol, Ayla, (2003) 'Turkey’s Euro-vision', National Europe Centre Paper No. 107, The National Europe Centre, ANU (4 July 2003)
Introduction 1. Foreign policy and transitional states 2. The Turkish transition and alternative ... more Introduction 1. Foreign policy and transitional states 2. The Turkish transition and alternative modernity 3. Modernity, nationalism and Islamic identity 4. Challenges of nationalist foreign policy 5. New rules engagement between Ankara and Moscow in the East 6. The Turkish question: Islamist, communist or nationalist? 7. The recognition of the modern Turkish state Conclusion Appendices Bibliography Index
The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the ... more The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the global international society. Imagining the Middle East as a 'unique' region is not a new idea, but relocating this conception within the English School (ES) of International Relations (IR) is. This article challenges the perceived 'exceptionalism' of the Middle East, which claims that the European concepts of state, sovereignty and nationalism are alien to Islam, therefore preventing the emergence of a regional international society. The first part highlights the correlation between Eurocentrism in IR and the lack of interest in regionalareastudies through the critique of Orientalism and the ES. The second part moves to demonstrate why the ES is more explanatory than other IR theories in the context of the Ottoman-European relations. The third part explores the 'institutional distinctiveness' of the Middle East, disproving the notion of regional 'exceptionalism' and IR's foundational Eurocentric assumptions. This article concludes by arguing that there is a strong case for calling the Middle East a 'regional interstate society', which remains to be a litmus test of whether or not a truly global international society is possible.
Turkey facing east is about the importance of Turkey’s relations with its Eastern neighbours – Az... more Turkey facing east is about the importance of Turkey’s relations with its Eastern neighbours – Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Soviet Union – during the emergence of the modern Turkish nation-state from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. The principal strength of this book is that it not only combines historical and theoretical arguments in order to provide a better understanding of the foreign relations of a predominantly Muslim country from a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, but it also applies the new approach to the analysis of Turkish foreign policy towards the South Caucasus between 1918 and 1921. Hence, it stands out with its original interdisciplinary approach to the Turkish transition and foreign policy-making that offers perspectives on the extant possibilities for the particular transitional states resulting from the Arab spring uprisings.
The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the ... more The Middle East is commonly perceived as a zone of cultural and political differences within the global international society. Imagining the Middle East as a ‘unique’ region is not a new idea, but relocating this conception within the English School (ES) of International Relations (IR) is. This article challenges the perceived ‘exceptionalism’ of the Middle East, which claims that the European concepts of state, sovereignty and nationalism are alien to Islam, therefore preventing the emergence of a regional international society. The first part highlights the correlation between Eurocentrism in IR and the lack of interest in regional – area – studies through the critique of Orientalism and the ES. The second part moves to demonstrate why the ES is more explanatory than other IR theories in the context of the Ottoman–European relations. The third part explores the ‘institutional distinctiveness’ of the Middle East, disproving the notion of regional ‘exceptionalism’ and IR’s foundational Eurocentric assumptions. This article concludes by arguing that there is a strong case for calling the Middle East a ‘regional interstate society’, which remains to be a litmus test of whether or not a truly global international society is possible.
Ayla Göl’ün Turkey Facing East: Islam, Modernity and Foreign Policy kitabının çıkış noktasını Tür... more Ayla Göl’ün Turkey Facing East: Islam, Modernity and Foreign Policy kitabının çıkış noktasını Türk dış politikası tarihini Türkiye’nin Batı ile olan ilişkilerine endekslemiş yazına karşı olan eleştirisi oluştur- maktadır. Yazar, bu haklı eleştirisinde, Türk dış politikası anlatılarının özellikle Kurtuluş Savaşı yıl- larına ilişkin değerlendirmelerinde, genelde yeni kurulmakta olan Türkiye’nin sadece “Batı” ile olan ilişkilerini mercek altına almasının modern Türkiye’nin kuruluşunda “Doğu” yani Bolşevik rejimi ve Ermenistan ile ilişkiler konusunda neredeyse sessiz kalmasının çok sorunlu olduğunu söylemektedir. Böyle bir yok sayma temelde üç etmeni görmemekten gelmek anlamına gelmektedir ve Göl kitabın- da bu üç temel etmenin ne kadar önemli olduğunu göstermeye çalışmaktadır. Öncellikle, Göl’e göre, “Batı Odaklı” diyebileceğimiz bu dış politika anlatısı aslında Türkiye’nin “İslami bir İmparatorluk’tan modern bir devlete” dönüşümünde “Doğu”nun yani Bolşevik rejimin ve de Ermenistan’la olan ilişki- lerin oynadığı önemli rolü gözden kaçırmaktadır. Yani, yine Göl’e göre Türk Dış politikası yazınında, özellikle de modern Türkiye’nin kuruluş yıllarında, devamlı olarak tekrarlanan “Batı’ya yönelim” kadar “Doğu’ya yönelim” de önemlidir. Çünkü Ankara hükümetinin egemenliğinin tanınması ve dolayısıy- la da Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’ndan modern Türkiye’nin doğuşunu sağlayan olay aslında Türkiye’nin doğu sınırının belirlenerek güvence altına alınması ve bunun Bolşevik rejim tarafından tasdik edilme- sidir.
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