Nuclear Security Complexes: an Alternative Approach to Nuclear Nonproliferation Beyza Unal Old Dominion University
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Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Graduate Program in International Studies Dissertations Winter 2014 Nuclear Security Complexes: An Alternative Approach to Nuclear Nonproliferation Beyza Unal Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds Part of the International Relations Commons, and the Political Theory Commons Recommended Citation Unal, Beyza. "Nuclear Security Complexes: An Alternative Approach to Nuclear Nonproliferation" (2014). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, International Studies, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/r2er-m877 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds/96 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Program in International Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NUCLEAR SECURITY COMPLEXES: AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION by Beyza Unal B.A. June 2007, Cankaya University, Turkey M.A. July 2010, Bilkent University, Turkey A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL STUDIES OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY December 2014 Approved by: Regina Karp (Director) Steve Yetiv (Mimber) Peter Schulman (Member) ABSTRACT NUCLEAR SECURITY COMPLEXES AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION Beyza Unal Old Dominion University, 2014 Director: Dr. Regina Karp Existing literature examines nuclear proliferation from a regional or a national perspective but nuclear issues are inherently transnational. The literature also often focuses on single-state policies for deterrence purposes. Following tailored (single-state) policies, however, is too narrow because these policies are bilateral and based on national interest; they do not include global concerns. In response to the literature, this dissertation proposes to examine states grouped according to their state characteristics in terms of threat existence, democracy level in the nuclear field, and membership in nuclear organizations and compliance with major nuclear treaties. The focus here is to ask: “Does regional security complex theory explain nuclear behavior?” To some extent it does. Regional security complex theory groups states in relation to their geopolitical context. This grouping method is essential for the model that I call nuclear nonproliferation security complexes. Different than the former theory, I argue that nuclear issues are inherently transnational, not regional, and states’ nuclear behavior is shaped by the aforementioned state characteristics. This model places states into seven different groups in terms of their characteristics. A triple Venn diagram helps to picture this conceptualization. The first three groups—called material, liberal, and norms-based security complexes—are the core parts of the Venn diagram. Security complexes four through six lie on the intersections between one, two, and three, with the seventh lying at the center. The state characteristics of Iran, Israel, Turkey and the United States are examined in order to understand how the model functions. This dissertation finds that despite having common Middle Eastern security concerns, Iran, Israel and Turkey follow different nuclear policies and their relationship with the United States is a fundamental factor in their nuclear decision-making. In conclusion, I suggest that the United States should differentiate its national interest, which is more to follow nuclear nonproliferation policies, from the global interest, which is to follow nuclear disarmament policies. From this perspective, the United States should find equal ground for both policies to work in conjunction with each other. This could lead to a more comprehensive nuclear approach that incorporates and engages with all actors. V Aileme vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply grateful to have the intellectual environment at Old Dominion University, especially to Dr. Regina Karp for her continuous support and making valuable suggestions as to how this dissertation might be improved. I sincerely appreciate all the assistance from my committee members, Dr. Steve Yetiv and Dr. Peter Schulman. I have been extremely lucky to attend nuclear summer programs through U.S. Department of Energy. As such, I thank to Monterey Institute of International Studies and Brookhaven National Laboratory to expand my nuclear knowledge. It would be remiss of me not to mention peer discussions at North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Allied Command Transformation: in particular I would like to thank to Lieutenant Colonel Bill Jakola, Andy Schlegel and former Royal Marine Alex Case for insights and fruitful discussions in personal capacity. I have been extremely fortunate with an excellent editor/friend Richard Crellin from United Kingdom and to have support of Robyn Thomas. I am grateful to William J. Fulbright Fellowship to make all this happen. My greatest debt of all is to my family that has given full support to my professional undertakings. I developed intellectual rigor, thanks to my mom’s rational thinking, like Diana Scully, and my dad’s normative thinking, like Fox Mulder in The X- Files. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1 RESEARCH QUESTION AND ARGUMENTS..................................................................2 RESEARCH THEORIES........................................................................................................4 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY.................................................................5 CONTEXT................................................................................................................................. 6 DISSERTATION ORGANIZATION...................................................................................11 2. SECURITY COMPLEX THEORY......................................................................................19 DEFINITION...........................................................................................................................21 CHARACTERISTICS........................................................................................................... 23 DEBATE.................................................................................................................................. 29 NON-TERRITORIALITY: MISSING ELEMENT........................................................... 44 NUCLEAR PRACTICES AND SECURITY COMPLEX THEORY..............................45 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................... 49 3. EXAMINING NUCLEAR LITERATURE THROUGH GROUPING METHOD 50 GROUPING METHODS....................................................................................................... 52 4. NUCLEAR SECURITY COMPLEX THEORY................................................................82 NUCLEAR SECURITY COMPLEXES METHODOLOGY........................................... 85 PROPOSED STATE CHARACTERISTICS...................................................................... 90 CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................116 5. MODELING NUCLEAR SECURITY COMPLEXES WITH SELECTED COUNTRIES............................................................................................................................. 118 IRAN: MATERIAL-NORMS BASED SECURITY COMPLEX..................................124 ISRAEL: MATERIAL SECURITY COMPLEX.............................................................. 138 TURKEY: MATERIAL-LIBERAL SECURITY COMPLEX....................................... 149 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: QUASI-HEGEMONIC SECURITY COMPLEX............................................................................................................................ 157 Chapter Page 6. ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................ 173 IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSNATIONALISM TO NUCLEAR SECURITY COMPLEXES........................................................................................................................174 LESSONS LEARNED FROM CONVENTIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX THEORY..........................................................................................................187 LESSONS LEARNED FROM NEW MODEL................................................................. 190 FINDINGS............................................................................................................................. 199 7. CONCLUSION .....................................................................................................................206 FUTURE RESEARCH AREAS.........................................................................................210 BIBLIOGRAPHY ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 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