İbn Haldun Çalışmaları Dergisi (Jan 2022)

Seeing the Invisible: Change of State Identity and Economic Interest in Turkish-Arab Relations, 2002-2012

  • Abdullah Enes Tüzgen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.36657/ihcd.2022.87
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1

Abstract

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Compared to previous decades, we observe a dramatic increase in international trade between Turkey and the Middle East between 2002 and 2012. Turkish exports to the Middle East and FDI from Arab countries to Turkey have increased 13 and 4.5 times, respectively. What explains such changes? I argue that the transformation in Turkish state identity resulted into a change in interest conceptualization. Since what the “Middle East” meant has changed with the new identity, previously "unseen" economic interests became visible.

Keywords