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This book explores the current anatomy of regional cooperation and why it has often failed to take hold. It offers an alternative view of politics and international relations in the Middle East. The findings show that co-operation between many of the more open regimes, such as Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Turkey can pave the way to increased stability in the region.The authors argue that focusing on international and regional factors alone is insufficient in explaining the prevailing instability in the region. Instead they highlight domestic factors as crucial to understanding conflict and co-operation in the Middle East. Using many examples and looking particularly at Turkey's experiences, this study shows why it is essential to mobilize domestic support for co-operation amongst countries and regions of the Middle East. Without such support from economic and social groups, inter-governmental co-operation is less likely to last.
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The Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East The Middle East has been seen as one of the most volatile regions in the world. It appears to be the exception in the general global trend of peaceful cooperation, economic liberalisation, and relative democratisation. Is it destined to remain characterised by violent conflicts, authoritarian regimes and closed, inefficient econo-mies? Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East explores the current anatomy of regional cooperation and why it has often failed to take hold. It argues that focusing on international and regional factors alone is insufficient in explaining the prevailing instability in the region. Instead the authors highlight domestic factors as crucial to understanding conflict and cooperation in the Middle East. Based on the literature on domestic sources of foreign policy, this study develops its own original conceptual model and demonstrates why it is essential to mobilise domestic support for cooperation amongst countries of the Middle East. Without such support from economic and social groups, inter-governmental cooperation is less likely to last. This study offers an alternative view of politics and international relations in the Middle East. The findings show that cooperation among the relatively more open regimes, such as Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Turkey can pave the way to increased stability in the region. Ali Çarkoğ lu is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Boğ aziçi University, Istanbul. Mine Eder is Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Lewis and Clark College, Portland. Kemal Kiriğ ci ci is Professor of International Relations at Boğ aziçi University, Istanbul. Routledge Advances in International Relations and Politics 1 Foreign policy and discourse analysis Henrik Larsen 2 Agency, structure and international politics From ontology to empirical enquiry Gil Friedman and Harvey Starr 3 The political economy of regional cooperation in the Middle East Ali Çarkoğlu, Mine Eder, Kemal Kiriğci 4 Peace maintenance The evolution of international political authority Jarat Chopra 5 International relations and historical sociology Breaking down boundaries Stephen Hobden 6 Equivalence in comparative politics Edited by Jan W. van Deth The Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East Ali Çarkoğ lu, Mine Eder and Kemal Kiriğ ci London and New York First published 1998 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 © 1998 Ali Çarkoğ lu, Mine Eder and Kemal Kiriğ ci The right of Ali Çarkoğ lu,