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The Regional Role of Iran Under President Ahmadinejad

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The Regional Role of Iran Under President Ahmadinejad THE REGIONAL ROLE OF IRAN UNDER PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY døö'(0'ø/(.$)/$.ø IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MIDDLE EAST STUDIES DECEMBER 2015 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences 3URI'U0HOLKD$OWXQÕúÕN Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Özlem Tür Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science Dr. Gulriz Sen Assist. Prof. Derya Gocer Akder Co-Supervisor Supervisor Examining Committee Members $VVLVW3URI,úÕN.Xúou (METU, IR) Assist. Prof. Derya Göçer Akder (METU, MES) Assist. Prof. Bayram Sinkaya (YBU, IR) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name : dL÷GHP'LOHN Aflaki Signature: III ABSTRACT THE REGIONAL ROLE OF IRAN UNDER PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD $IODNLdL÷GHP'LOHN MSc. ,Department of Middle East Studies Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Derya Göçer Akder Co-Supervisor: Dr. Gülriz ùen December 2015, 225 pages 7KLVWKHVLVDQDO\]HV,UDQ¶VUHJLRQDOUROHGuring President Ahmadinejad era. From the beginning to the end of his presidency IraQ¶V UROH LQ WKH 0LGGOH (DVW ZDV highly debated due to increasing assertiveness of Iran in the region. This thesis aims at reaching grounded conclusions about the actual role of Iran in the region, during the presidency of Mahmood Ahmadinejad. To this end, this thesis offers a typology which consists of three parameters which are self-perception of Iran, regional SHUFHSWLRQVWRZDUG,UDQ¶VUROHDQGWKHKDUGSRZHUFDSDFLWLHVRI,UDQ7RGRVR the thesis provides an examination of revolutionary, Islamic and national identities of ,UDQZKLFKRIIHUV,UDQ¶VVHOI-perception regarding its regional role. Then, the study tests the self-perceived regional role of Iran in regard to regional perceptions towards IV LW DQG LWV PDWHULDO FDSDFLWLHV 7KH WKHVLV FRQFOXGHV WKDW ,UDQ ZDV D ³SRWHQWLDO UHJLRQDO GRPLQDQW SRZHU´ GXULQJ 3UHVLGHQW $KPDGLQHMDG HUD %HVLGHV WKH WKHVLV suggests that the regional role of Iran under President Ahmadinejad era may also be calOHG DV ³UHJLRQDO GRPLQDWRU´ D WHUP RULJLQDWHG E\ 0LULDP 3U\V 7KH WKHVLV DOVR points out that, the increasing threat perception of regional countries towards Iran is YLHZHGDVDGHWHUUHQWE\,UDQ¶VOHDGHUVEXWLWLVDWWKHVDPHWLPHWKHPDLQREVWDFOH for Iran to materialize its potential capacities. Keywords: Regional Role of Iran, Mahmood Ahmadinejad, Regional Power, Identities of Iran V ÖZ CUMHURBAù.$1,$+0('øNEJ$''g1(0ø1'(ø5$1¶,1%g/*(6(/ ROLÜ $IODNLdL÷GHP'LOHN M6F2UWD'R÷u dDOÕúPDODUÕ%|OP Tez Yoneticisi: Assist. Prof. Dr. Derya Göçer Akder Ortak Tez Yoneticisi: Dr. Gülriz ùen $UDOÕN sayfa %X WH] &XPKXUEDúNDQÕ $KPHGLQHMDG G|QHPLQGH øUDQ¶ÕQ E|OJHVHO UROQ incelmektedir. .HQGLVLQLQJLGHUHNDUWDQLGGLDOÕV|\OHPOHULQLQGHHWNLVL\OHøUDQ¶ÕQEX G|QHPGHE|OJHGHQHWUELUUROROGX÷XROGXNoDWDUWÕúPDOÕELUNRQXKDOLQHJHOPLúWLU Bu tezin aPDFÕ EX G|QHPGH øUDQ¶ÕQ QDVÕO ELU URO R\QDGÕ÷ÕQD GDLU VD÷ODP WHPHOOHUH GD\DQDQ VRQXoODUD XODúPDNWÕU %X DPDoOD EX WH] ³øUDQ¶ÕQ |]-DOJÕVÕ´ ³E|OJH ONHOHULQLQøUDQ¶ÕQE|OJHVHOURONRQXVXQGDNLDOJÕODUÕ´YH³øUDQ¶ÕQVHUWJF´ROPDN ]HUHoSDUDPHWUHGHQROXúDQELUWLSRORML|QHVUPHNWHGLU%XúHNLOGHEXWH]øUDQ¶ÕQ kendi bölgesel rolü konusundaki öz-DOJÕVÕQDXODúPDN]HUHøUDQ¶ÕQGHYULPFLøVODPL YH PLOOL NLPOLNOHULQLQ ELU GH÷HUOHQGLUPHVLQL \DSPDNWDGÕU 6RQUDVÕQGD EX oDOÕúPD øUDQ¶ÕQNHQGLNHQGLQHVWOHQGL÷LE|OJHVHOUROOHULQLQLQ JHoHUOLOL÷LQLE|OJHONHOHULQLQ bu konuya yDNODúÕPODUÕ YH øUDQ¶ÕQ HNRQRPLN Ye askeri NDSDVLWHOHUL DoÕVÕQGDQ WHVW VI HWPHNWHGLU%XoDOÕúPDøUDQ¶ÕQ&XPKXUEDúNDQÕ$KPHGLQHMDGG|QHPLQGH³SRWDQVL\HO E|OJHVHO EDVNÕQ Jo´ ROGX÷X VRQXFXQD YDUÕU Bunun GÕúÕQGD EX WH] øUDQ¶ÕQ $KPHGLQHMDG G|QHPLQGHNL UROQQ 0LULHP 3U\V¶LQ ³E|OJHVHO EDVNÕFÕ Jo´ NDYUDPÕQD X\JXQ JHOHELOHFH÷LQL GH |QH VUHU %XQODUD HN RODUDN EX WH] øUDQ¶D \|QHOLN E|OJHGH JLGHUHN DUWDQ WHKWLG DOJÕVÕQÕQ øUDQ OLGHUOHUL WDUDIÕQGDQ ELU WU FD\GÕUÕFÕOÕNPHNDQL]PDVÕRODUDNJ|UOG÷QIDNDW DVOÕQGDWDPGDEXtehtid DOJÕVÕQÕQ øUDQ¶ÕQ potansiyel güçOHULQL JHUoHNOHúWLUHELOPHVLQLQ |QQGHNL WHPHO HQJHO ROGX÷XQD da dikkati çeker. $QDKWDU .HOLPHOHU øUDQ¶ÕQ %|OJHVHO 5RO 0DKPXG $KPHGLQHMDG %|OJHVHO *o øUDQ¶ÕQ.LPOLNOHUL VII To the most beautiful and the most intelligent woman in my life... To my 0RWKHU« To Zekiye KaraR÷ODQ VIII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis owes its existence to the priceless supports and efforts of the following people to whom I am very much grateful. In this regard, first I would like to thank to my supervisor Assist. Prof. Dr. Derya Göçer Akder for her excessive support and insightful contributions for the completion of this thesis. Then, I would like to deliver my gratitude to my precious co-DGYLVRU 'U *OUL] ùHQ ZLWKRXW ZKRVH DFDGHPLF contributions, guidance, patience, and insighfulness, and above all, friendly attitude to me, this thesis would not have been possible. I would also like to express my gratitude and respect to the members of the examining committee; Assist. Prof. Dr. ,úÕN .XúoXDQG $VVLVW 3URI'U Bayram Sinkaya for their questions and commets that led me to the right path towards the completion of this thesis. ,¶P GHHSO\ WKDQNIXO WR P\ GHDUHVW IULHQGV 6DKED 6KDPHNK 6RKHLO .KDWDPLDQ 6HUWDQ 6DYDú DQG $UPD÷DQ .DOD\FÕR÷OX IRU WKHLU µWHFKQLFDO¶ VXSSRUWV WKURXJK DVVXPLQJUHVSRQVLELOLW\IRUP\EDE\¶s care that provided the time that I need in order to focus on my thesis. I would also like to express my sincerest thanks to my precious friend, Zeynep Serap Tekten for her persistent belief in me about anything and everything which gives me the courage I need in my life. Hereby, I want to express my gratitude to my dear parents ZeNL\H .DUDR÷ODQ DQG )DKUHWWLQ.DUDR÷ODQDQGP\EHORYHGEURWKHU0DKLU.DUDR÷ODQ for their everlasting love and support to me throughout my life that always made PHIHHOWKDW,¶Pblessed with their irreplaceable existence. Particularly, I would like to thank to my mother for her direct encouragement through her prayers to me and indirect encouragement through everyday questioning me by asking whether the thesis finish or not. IX Last but not least, I would like to express my love, gratitude, respect, admiration, appreciation to my closest friend and matchless partner; Mohammad Mehdi Aflaki whose excellence makes my life meaningful and joyful. His sincerest support, encouragement and patience was the biggest motivation highest priority for both the start and and completion of this thesis. Additionally, I want to express my deepest appreciation to my husband for his perfect fatherhood towards our son who does not need to even see me when his father is around. Finally, I would like to express my love and respect to my son; Mohammad Ali Aflaki who is actually younger than this thesis but much more mature than this WKHVLV« 7KDQN \RX P\ GHDr son for your understanding throughout the days and nights that I read and wrote while you were patiently waiting for my care, but you ZLOOVHHWKDWLWLVZRUWKDOOWKHVHHIIRUWV« X TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................... III ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... IV g= .............................................................................................................................. VI DEDICATION ....................................................................................................... VIII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... IX TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... XI CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 2. AN ASSESMENT OF REGIONALISM AND REGIONAL ROLE CONCEPTUALISATIONS ......................................................................................... 9 2.1.The First Group: Global Context Matters More ...................................... 10 2.1.1. Global Determines Regional .................................................... 10 2.1.2. Analyzing Regional Level through Global Level .................... 17 2.1.3. Regional Powers are Regional Leaders.................................... 22 2.2. The Second Group: Regional Dynamics Matters More .......................... 25 2.2.1. Regions are Determined in Itself.............................................. 25 2.2.2. Regional Level Approaches to Analyse Regions ..................... 27 2.2.3. Regional Power as an Inclusive Term ...................................... 44 2.3. Conclusion as the Conceptual Frame of This Thesis .............................. 45 3.SELF PERCEPTION OF IRAN REGARDING ITS REGIONAL ROLE ............. 47 3.1. The Impact of Revolutionary Identity of IRI on its Self-Perceptions ..... 50 3.1.1. How does Revolutionary Identity Determine the Worldviews of ,UDQ¶V/HDGHUV" ................................................................................... 50 3.1.1.1. The Reflections of Revolutionary Identity of IRI during President Ahmadinejad Era ........................................ 52 7KH,PSDFWVRI³DQWL-AmHULFDQLVP´RQ5HJLRQDO5ROH&ODLPV
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