Regionalism in the Middle East and the Case of Turkey

Abstract.

Turkey is a republic that borders on, regularly interacts with, and actively seeks to define itself as a part of neighboring regions. As such, it provides a significant example of how Middle East nation‐states are not only affected by globalization but also deeply involved in contributing to the related processes of regionalization and regional (re)definition. Far from a unique phenomenon, regionalism involving Turkey is flexible and multifaceted, profoundly dynamic, and inextricably linked to virtually all aspects of the nation's foreign and domestic affairs. Regionalism in Turkey demonstrates clearly how processes of globalization are not simply economic but also directly implicated in contemporary shifts in national identity and even in the very nature of the nation‐state itself. This study surveys and analyzes the constructs and dynamics of regionalism that are shaping the Turkish nation and state, contributing to varieties of transnationalism, and reconstituting the scales at which Turkey is located, both in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.

Key words:

• nation‐states
• regionalism
• regions
• transnationalism
• Turkey.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kyle T. Evered

Dr. Evered is an assistant professor of geography at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824.