Staunch NATO ally, on the way to the EU, and still with growing engagement in the Middle East, yes we are talking about Turkey! More specifically, I will talk about the transformation of Turkish foreign policy and its ongoing challenges on the Transatlantic, European and Middle Eastern fronts. As a matter of fact, the need to simultaneously deal with these interdependent regions is not entirely Turkey’s choice. Turkey, with its geostrategic location bordering Syria, Iraq, Iran; and with the second largest standing army after the United States in NATO has been bound to be at the heart of any major Western engagement in the Middle East. Does this leave Turkish foreign policy with a clear vision ahead? Recent developments suggest otherwise. Therefore, there is a need to discuss the pros-and-cons of Turkey’s involvement in the Middle Eastern security issues.
Event Details
Speaker: Dr Giray Sadik, Yildirim Beyazit University
Chair: Bill Park, Kings College London
Date: Wednesday 13 November 2013
Time: 18.30-20.00
Location: Room 1.04, New Academic Building, LSE
Attendance: This event is free and open to all on a first come first served basis. Our events are very well attended, please make sure to arrive early. We cannot guarantee entry
Speaker
Giray Sadık earned his Ph.D. (2008) in Political Science from the University of Georgia (Georgia, USA) specializing in International Relations and Comparative Politics. International security, American foreign policy and greater Middle East, Transatlantic relations and Turkish foreign policy are among his research interests. His book American Image in Turkey: U.S. Foreign Policy Dimensions was published by Lexington Books (2009). Dr. Sadık taught courses on international relations, American foreign policy and international security in the United States. After his return from Sweden where he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Global Political Studies at Malmö University; currently, he is a faculty member and Erasmus coordinator in the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science at Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.