Comparative analysis of states' foreign policy decision making processes in the light of system models: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey

This thesis is based on the basic assumption that "the political culture" of the sociological elements and "structure of international system" of the international factors of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) have an impact on foreign policy makers' decisions depending on regime types and any changes in these factors can cause differences in foreign policy outcomes. Thereby, the aim of this study is to analyze impacts of "independent variables" (structure of international system and political culture) and "intervening variable" (political regimes and constitutional structure/structure of governement) on foreign policy making process of states in the light of "system models". In order to reveal influences of structure of international system and political culture on foreign policy making process, this dissertation scrutinize foreign policy behavior of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey in the period of post Cold War (1991-2015). The main point of this study is that how these variables are evaluated by foreign policy makers of exemplary states and how their foreign policies are shaped in connection with these factors. In this sense, main research questions of the thesis can be listed as follows: 1. What are the effects of structure of international system and political culture on foreign policy making process? 2. Which powers and impacts do internal/domestic actors determining foreign policy have? 3. What role do political regimes assume in divergence of foreign policies? 4. Which of the factors affecting foreign policy is more evident in explaining changes in foreign policy? Based on exemplary states, it can be seen clearly that structure of international system and political culture has influence on foreign policy decision makers to shape foreign policy implementations subject to states' political regimes. The research questions will be answered in the context of "Qualitative Case Study" method and "System Models" based on Input-Process-Output models. As a result, it is observed that the structure of the international system and the political culture influence decision makers' decisions on foreign policy, depending on the regimes of the states on the basis of case studies. More in particular, while states have very narrow maneuver area in the period when the structure of international system is bipolar or unipolar; they have more options like using of force when multipolarity occurs in international system. The dimensions of the changes in political cultures of states, such as the structure of the international system, also affect the dimensions of the diversification of decision-makers' foreign policy preferences. Finally, the passion of change in foreign policy in democratic regimes is rather difficult compared to non-democratic regimes that have a decision-making mechanism in the hands of particular elite. Because there are a number of elements that restrict decision makers in democratic regimes