Harmonizing Foreign Policy: Turkey, the EU and the Middle East

The change in Turkish foreign policy towards the Middle East in the post-Cold War era is a highly debated issue with most experts believing that Europeanization has become the driving force behind this change. This book uses the cases of Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as two important illustrations. Both of these cases are dynamic issues of conflict in the region and are high on the agenda of Turkey in terms of its policies towards the region.Focusing on issues related to EU integration, this study looks at the formation of a common foreign policy in general and a common policy towards the Middle East in particular. It also examines decision making in Turkish foreign policy and foreign policy towards the Middle East before and after EU candidature. As such it provides valuable insights into how parties interact with each other and the way in which foreign policies can be harmonized.