The impact of the Greater Middle East and northern Africa project in security of Turkey

It is considered that the Middle East has been important, because of its socio-economic, political and strategic values during the history, it has been one of the main subjects of international agenda. September 11 has changed the international agenda which was reshaped with the end of the Cold War. Thus, under this new agenda, actors in the international relations have started to evaluate their interests again. Changing of the dynamics and interests of actors in the international relations have provided new strategies inevitably. The Greater Middle East and Northern Africa Project has been the last of these strategies. The US has put different strategies into progress under different titles in the Middle East since the 1950s. The US has decided to initiate the Greater Middle East and Northern Africa Project, because of September 11 terrorist attacks, in order to limit the conditions which facilitate international terrorism in the Middle East. Although this project was not defined clearly; the US have aimed to solve social, economic and political problems in the Middle East, which are considered as the reasons of international terrorism mostly rooted in the Middle East. Turkey has also been affected by September 11. It was considered that the World would understand terrorism and Turkey?s struggle against the PKK terrorism. Hence, Turkey has supported the GMEI since the President Bush?s declaration at the G-8 Meeting, on June 9, 2004. It is claimed that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the nuclear programme of Iran, the war between Hezbollah- Hamas and Israel, have coerced Turkey to reconsider its strategy in the Middle East. In this thesis the GMEI is analyzed and its impact in security of Turkey is evaluated. Key Words: The Middle East, Security, The GMEI, The US, Turkey