Abstract The paper discusses Greece's relationship with the European Union (EU) and the part Greece plays in the relationship between the Balkans and the EU. The paper notes the strategic position of Greece towards Turkey, the island of Cyprus and the Middle East. The paper then examines the economic and cultural dimensions of Greece's presence in the region.
From the Paper "Greece can be considered to be one of the most important countries in the European Union and of the region. This is largely due to its geostrategic position as well as the resources it has at its disposal in terms of financial and political capital. At the same time, it represents a connecting point for two essential regions of the world, Europe and the Middle East. Through its geographical position as well as through the capabilities it uses on a constant basis in order to lead a coherent political direction, Greece is viewed today as a crucial actor in this part of the world."
Tags: Balkans, European, Union, Turkey, Cyprus, Middle, East
Abstract This paper examines the historical and present factors that shape Turkey's foreign policy. The paper organizes these factors into two main categories; state level factors and international level factors. The also paper shows how Turkey is faced with one of the most complicated foreign policy situations in the world. Additionally, the paper discusses how there is little doubt that they have the potentialto become a high ranking influential power; whether their potential is realized will depend largely upon what directions in foreign policy are pursued. The paper includes MLA style sources but does not append a bibliography.
From the Paper "Because the Ottoman Empire was essentially carved up by the victors of the Great War, Turkey was forced to totally redefine its foreign policy and self-image based on what the international community had given them. The result was a generally inward-looking policy that avoided foreign entanglements whenever possible, and such a policy has been the foundational belief and continuing practice of Turkish since its creation, with little variance until the end of the Cold War. Two factors are critical in explaining Turkey's historic restraint in foreign affairs. First, Turkey was reacting to the dramatic decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the European battle of great-power politics. In order to keep it from being partitioned off by the European empires, Turkey had to distinguish itself clearly from its foreign empire, and assure its neighbors, by focusing solely on itself, that it was not threatening them by trying to revive old boundaries (the Soviet Union was the biggest threat, and an attempt to build a pan-Turkic empire would have no doubt ended in a battle which Turkey would undoubtedly have lost, followed by the Soviets annexing it into its Union of Republics)."
Tags: European, Union, Ottoman, Empire, Kurds, Cyprus, Greece, restraint, NATO
Abstract This book reviews the book "Islamic Political Identity in Turkey" by M. Hakan Yavuz. The book details the political and ideological shift taking place in the largely Muslim country of Turkey. The paper analyzes the main issues presented in the book and investigates Turkey's future in the global sociopolitical order.
From the Paper "'Islamic Political Identity in Turkey' by M. Hakan Yavuz is a timely explication of the political and ideological shift taking place in Turkey, a largely Muslim country which has experienced an Islamic resurgence after..."
Abstract This paper analyzes the efforts made by Turkey to gain acceptance into the European Union (EU), including the advantages to the EU of accepting Turkey. It looks at how the acceptance of Turkey is based on the country having stable institutions, respect for human rights, the rule of law, a functioning market economy and the ability to take on membership obligations.
From the Paper "At a December summit in Copenhagen Denmark, European Union EU or the Union officials announced that Turkey could begin membership negotiations in December if it met certain membership criteria aimed ...."
Abstract This paper examines the main problems that modern Turkey faces and their possible origins such as: the military's weakening hold on the civilians, provisions of the 1961 Constitution, the forming of violent movements and economic instability. The paper provides future projections for Turkey and gives solutions in possible policy reform.
From the Paper "Many of Turkey's current political and even cultural problems actually stem from the proportional representation provisions of its 1961 constitution, which made it difficult for any party to gain the majority needed to enact effective legislation. Action, as a result, has all too often been taken by the rising up of violent movements in the streets (Ibrahim, 2001, p. 38).The military's hold over the country has lessened. In 1989, ?zal was chosen as Turkey's first civilian head of state since 1960. However, despite the growing political stability of the central government over the last decade and an increasing commitment on the part of the nation to democracy, Turkey's economy suffered badly during the 1980s and 1990s due to government deficits, a weak currency, and continued economic losses incurred by the UN trade embargo of Iraq. All of these factors continue to have repercussions in the country's current economic condition, and the weakness in the economy has left the nation subject to Islamic nationalist movements that many Turks believe to be disruptive and (because they are backed by Arab interests) alien and insensitive to Turkey's unique position at the crossroads of the East and the West (Abramowitz, 2001, p. 81)."
Abstract This paper discusses ancient Greece and Rome, noting first that the two major city-states in ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta, and these two cities had different social systems and concentrated on perfecting different aspects of life. The writer notes that the ancient Greeks developed a social system that reflected their geography and climate. The writer further points out that the city-state was the name given to the early kingdoms built around a small city, with the largest political unit being the city itself.
From the Paper "The two major city-states in ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta, and these two cities had different social systems and concentrated on perfecting different aspects of life. The ancient Greeks developed a social system that reflected their geography and climate. The city-state was the name given to the early kingdoms built around a small city, with the largest political unit being the city itself. In time, city-states would join together to form larger political units, creating larger kingdoms and eventually empires stretching across much of a continent or other large area. For the Greeks, the city-state was the basic political unit, and the major ones were Athens and Sparta. The leadership in Athens was democratic, while that in Sparta was based more on strong military leaders."
Abstract This paper argues that financial and other practical factors as opposed to supernatural factors shaped the practice of abandoning infants in the real world of ancient Greece and Rome .
From the Paper "To the modern reader the story of how the infant Oedipus was exposed to die on a hillside at his father's insistence is appalling. While it can be argued that the problem of child abuse and abandonment is still very much ..."
Tags: child exposure/abandonment, Greece, Rome, Oedipus, Ion
Abstract This paper examines the transition into democracies that occurred in both Spain and Greece starting in the 1970s and continuing on through the subsequent decades. It looks at how both of these countries endured similar processes in overthrowing the existing authoritarian regimes in order to consolidate political power in democratic institutions. It also examines how although these common factors were far-reaching, they included similar historical backgrounds, similar social forces calling for the change, and comparable economic problems.
From the Paper "The toppling of authoritarian regimes and the promotion of democracies throughout the world has become big business for politicians in the West. Politicians in the United States, especially, have capitalized on the public's distaste and fear of dictatorships. This political momentum has fostered such recent moves as military intervention in Iraq and diplomatic entreaties towards North Korea. The cause is effectively the same. The West is overly obsessed with pressuring its democratic ideals upon the rest of the world no matter the existence of the appropriate political infrastructure. Without a doubt, this could lead to a series of political nightmares in the very near future. Nonetheless, democratization can occur, especially if politicians heed what has occurred in the past and learn from those lessons. "
Abstract An examination of these two movies which highlight the differences of the stereotypical struggles encountered by both men and women. In "Thelma and Louise" the women are struggling and questioning their roles in life, while in "Fight Club" we see how the men struggle for superiority in their society. Critical reviews of both of these movies are examined.
From the Paper "To argue about who is more oppressed is pointless because in this society , no matter who we are, no matter what gender we are, we all struggle for a place in society. We can define "places" as having many different meanings. Places can mean simple survival, a career, or a 'place of honor?, a job, or a status within family or society. Based on this definition, it is logical to say that while men and women struggle, their struggles are different. This struggle is highlighted in two movies. Thelma and Louise is the story of a woman's struggle, while Fight Club is the story of a man's struggle. Faludi calls Fight Club "Thelma and Louise for guys" highlighting the similarity in the theme, arguing that Fight Club shows how men struggle in society just as women do. Stein in his column The Emasculation Proclamation argues instead that Fight Club reveals something very different and especially reveals that the struggle of men is very different to the struggle of women."
Abstract This paper compares Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych" and Jhumpa Lahiri's short stories, explaining how in both pieces of fiction one becomes a witness to a character's struggle with herself/himself and what the outcome of that struggle reveals about that character.
Abstract This paper shows how "The Bhagavad Gita"'s main character, Arjuna, must make a decision about whether or not to fight and why. The Bhagavad Gita is writings about Lord Krishna and his power. It shows how only Lord Krishna can help provide answers. The writer provides an analysis of these moral struggles and themes which constitute the major focus of the novel.
From the Paper "War is a powerful experience. How many individuals have had to take their places on the bloody front of killing and wonder what exactly their actions will result in? For one man, Arjuna, these moral issues of killing his kinsmen and pondering the resulting state of his spiritual well-being are paralyzing. War, he realizes, not only involves the "simple" act of physically taking lives, but it also affects the deeper universal soul, or Ātmā. What should he do? What should he think? Who should he seek help from? These answers and many more come in the form of his God, Krishna, the ultimate source of clarity for Arjuna in his crippling confusion."
Abstract This paper provides a brief overview of the ongoing struggle between Greece and Turkey. The paper describes the history of their relations, the wars fought between the two countries, massacres of populations and occupations of land, British involvement in the struggle, present day relations, as well as the current political situation in Cyprus.
From the Paper "Despite many commonalitities, Greece and Turkey have been at odds for hundreds of years (Turkey pp). Although many subscribe to the myth of ancient hatred, there is however, a history of conflict that dates back to the entry of Turkish nomads into the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century, the eventual collapse of the Byzantine, the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and the long dominance of the Ottoman Dynasty over Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean islands (Turkey pp). Throughout history, the strategic location of the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been of interest of several states that sought to gain a foothold for Middle East invasions (Meier Pp). Greece gained control of the island in the 13th century B.C. and dominated the island until the Ottoman takeover of 1571, after which Turkish immigrants began to inhabit the island (Meier Pp). During the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of its war with Russia, the United Kingdom negotiated to become the protecting power over Cyprus and officially gained sovereignty over the island in 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne, making the island a British Crown Colony until its independence in 1960 (Meier Pp). Since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832, relations between Greece and Turkey have been marked by mutual hostility resulting in four wars, The Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, the First World War 1914-1918, and the Greco-Turkish War 1919-1922 (Ottoman pp)."
Abstract This paper presents a discussion of the basic geography, history and economy of Turkey and Greece. The political conflicts that started between the two communities when the Turkish Cypriots rejected the Greek Cypriots' desire for ENOSIS for Union with Greece is discussed as well as the results of Cyprus' de facto partition due to the Turkish invasion.
From the Paper "Cyprus' de facto partition due to the Turkish invasion resulted in a lot of suffering; almost a third of each ethnic community's population had to leave their homes and devastation ensued in the economy of Cyprus. Intensive intervention and economic planning by the government on both sides brought about an improvement in the standard of living of the people. Political systems based on the European structure were formulated by both the communities, with political views which were conventional in nature represented by the parties from left to the right. The Greek Cypriots had two parties which were present from before 1970 and new ones were formed after 1974. However, the progress of the Turkish Cypriots to parliamentary democracy was not as smooth; they had to build a new state first. The "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus" was proclaimed in the year 1975. Through a unilateral form of declaring independence in the year 1983 the TRNC was created by the Turkish Cypriots; however, till the early 1990s it was recognized as a nation only by Turkey. ("Country Studies: Developments Since 1974", n. d.)"
This paper discusses the role of the Republic of Turkey in contemporary politics as the only modern, secular Muslim state after its revolution during years 1910-1923.
Abstract This paper looks at the fundamental principles of Turkey's foreign policy. It examines Turkey's role in World War II and asks whether the country was completely neutral or not. It discusses Turkey's membership in the United Nations; the conflicts between the Soviets and the Turks; the importance of the Korean War for the Turks; the role of Turkey as the only Muslim state in NATO; the Turks and the Greeks and Cyprus; the 1991 Gulf War and Turkey's role as the critical ally of the U.S ,and finally, Turkey in the EU.
From the Paper ""History has seen many great people. It has seen Alexander the Great's, Napoleon's, Washington's. However, in the twentieth century, the record for greatness was broken by Ataturk, this Turkish son of a Turk." as L'IIIustration Newspaper of France states after the death of a great leader, a true liberator in 1938. Among the great leaders of history, few have achieved so much in so short period, transformed the life of a nation as decisively, and given such profound inspiration to the world at large. With the foundation of today's Republic of Turkey in 1923, Ataturk, literally the Father of the Turks, came up with a huge package of reforms to transform the sick, old Ottoman state into a young, modern Republic and a nation. This set of reforms is called Kemalism and it is the introduction and the rendering of the rights to the nation. It is the expression of the national sovereignty. It is an attempt to reach the level of the modern civilizations, it is westernization, modernization. It requires to experience a modern social life, to establish a secular state, and to govern with a positive science mentality. Ataturk's words, which were brought by the idea of Kemalism, ?Peace at home, peace in the world,? give the basic principle of him about his views on world politics within his own nation and also in the world."
Tags: cyprus, empire, foreign, greece, greek, korean, nato, ottoman, policy, republic, turk, turkish, war, world
Abstract The paper explores the economic and foreign policy aspect of the proposed Turkish accession to the European Union. The paper reveals that the European Union, taking into account the security environment in the last years, needs the Turkish state but Turkey would have to resolve her political problems with the Kurdish population, with Greece, and Cyprus. The paper offers a general overview of the EU's foreign policy in regard to the Middle East and shows how, with Turkey as a member state, the EU can have a representative voice in the fight against terrorism in the region, as well as in the direct contacts with the Mediterranean states.
From the Paper "There are controversial issues surrounding Turkey's accession to the EU taking into account the different forces inside the communitarian forum. However, it can be said that the Muslim country has enough attributes to be considered for membership of the European Union. Still, in order to have a better view at the importance of the country for the European forum, it is essential that one particular aspect be taken into account. In this sense, the way in which the foreign policy of the European Union is developing, the Turkish accession may represent one of its most important attributes. More precisely, given the fact that the new threats of security come from the Middle East or so it seems after recent reports, the adherence of the Turkish state to both continents and to different cultures can prove to be a connection point which would be useful for the foreign policy of the EU in the future. Nonetheless, it is important that such aspects, as well as political, economic, and cultural ones related to the Middle East policy of the European Union be taken into account."
Tags: Middle, East, terrorism, security, member, states
