Interregional Relations: Perspectives on the Summit of South American-Arab Countries ‘New’ Patterns of Engagement
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INTERREGIONAL RELATIONS: PERSPECTIVES ON THE SUMMIT OF SOUTH AMERICAN-ARAB COUNTRIES ‘NEW’ PATTERNS OF ENGAGEMENT A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY MARSHA MARIE HALL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MIDDLE EAST STUDIES OCTOBER 2015 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Benli Altunışık 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. Prof. Dr. Meliha Benli Altunışık Assist. Prof. Dr. Derya Göçer Akder Supervisor Co-Advisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Özlem Tür (METU, MES) Prof. Dr. Meliha Benli Altunışık (METU, MES) Assist. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Serdar Palabıyık (TOBB-ETÜ IR) PLAGIARISM 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 : Marsha Marie Hall Signature: _____________________ iii ABSTRACT INTERREGIONAL RELATIONS: PERSPECTIVES ON THE SUMMIT OF SOUTH AMERICAN- ARAB COUNTRIES ‘NEW’ PATTERNS OF ENGAGEMENT Hall, Marsha Marie M.Sc., Department of Middle East Studies Supervisor : Prof. Dr. Meliha Benli Altunışık October 2015, 195 pages This thesis presents a novel approach in analysing the foreign policy perspectives of ‘new’ engagements between the Arab Middle East and South America regions. The specific focus is on Brazil’s strategic, pragmatic and heightened foreign policy approach- ‘autonomy through diversification’, enlarged under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government (2003- 2011). The Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA) an interregional dialogue forum serves as the empirical frame, while interactions are analysed through interregionalism. This is a theoretical approach typically reserved for advanced interregional networks of the Triad regions; North America, Western Europe and Japan. With this knowledge, the thesis highlights forms and functions of interregionalism. Although a developed form for ASPA is not easily discerned, analytical discussions are based on studies of non-Triad regions arranged as South- South relations. The thesis’ evaluation of functions of interregionalism is operationalized within the structured frame of the Summit relying on three global-crossing optimal areas of interests reflected in international conditions for ASPA members to increase synergies. It is noted that though interregionalism theory is complementary to the Summit there are cases of limitations and lacunae in research on non- Triadic regions. Furthermore, given the low level of institutionalisation of the ASPA Summit undermining its structures and asymmetries among members; it is only capable of acting as an interregional springboard. However, if accorded long-term functionality and visibility as other interregional dialogue groups emerging from the South, there will be a potential for impact at the global multilateral level. Keywords: Interregionalism, ASPA, Foreign Policy, South-South relations, Triad iv ÖZ BÖLGELERARASI İLİŞKİLER: GÜNEY AMERİKA - ARAP ÜLKELERİ ZİRVESİNDEKİ “YENİ” ANGAJMAN YAPISI PERSPEKTİFLERİ Hall, Marsha Marie Yüksek Lisans, Ortadoğu Araştırmaları Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Dr. Meliha Benli Altunışık Ekim 2015, 195 sayfa Bu tez Arap Ortadoğu Ülkeleri ve Güney Amerika bölgeleri arasındaki bölgelerarası ilişkilere dair yeni bir yaklaşım sunmaktadır. Tezin odağında, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hükümeti altında genişleyen (2003-2011), Brezilya’nın stratejik, pragmatik ve yükselen dış politika yaklaşımı “Çeşitlilik Üzerinden Gelişen Özerklik” vardır. Bölgelerarası diyalog forumu Güney Amerika - Arap Ülkeleri Zirvesi (ASPA) ise ampirik vakayı oluşturmaktadır. Burada amaçlanan genelde Kuzey Amerika, Batı Avrupa ve Japonya gibi üçlü gruplar arasındaki, yüksek bölgelerarası ağlar için kullanılan teorik çerçeveyi Arap Ortadoğu ülkeleri ve Güney Amerika arasındaki ilişkileri açıklarken kullanmaktır. Bu bilgiler çerçevesinde bu tez bölgelerarasıcılığın şeklini ve işleyiş biçiminin altını çizer. Her ne kadar bölgeler için gelişmiş bir form kolaylıkla kavranamasa da analitik tartışmalar üçlü grup olmayan Güney-Güney ilişkilerinin çalışmalarına dayanmaktadır. Tezin bölgelerarasıcılığın işleyiş biçimi değerlendirmesi ASPA üyeleri arasındaki sinerjiyi yükseltmek ve geliştirmek bazında ASPA zirvesinin yapısal çerçevesi içerisinde ortaya çıkan üç küresel konu üzerinden işlevselleştirilmiştir. Bölgelerarasıcılığın, gelişen yapısı ve üçlü olmayan bölgeler üzerindeki araştırma eksikliklerinden dolayı açıklayıcılığının sınırları da dikkate alınmalıdır. ASPA zirvesinin düşük seviyedeki kurumsallaştırması nedeniyle üyeler arasındaki yapının ve asimetrinin gözden kaçmaktadır; ASPA şimdilik sadece ülkelerin kendi çıkarlarını korurken kullandıkları bölgelerarası bir araç olarak kalmaktadır. Fakat uzun dönemde işlevsellik ve görünürlüğün, güneyde yükselen diğer bölgelerarası gruplardaki gibi, uyumlaştırılması durumunda çok uluslu küresel siyasete gerçek bir etki etmesi söz konusu olabilir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Bölgelearası, ASPA, Dış Politika, Güney-Güney İlişkileri, Üçlü Topluluk v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With sincere gratitude to the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti and all other government institutions which facilitated this graduate scholarship. To the Graduate School of Social Sciences (special thanks to Professor Altunışık and Dr. Aker for your patience), the thesis committee and members of staff in the department of Middle East Studies thank you for your amicable interactions. I am indebted to Dr. Gülriz Şen for her intellectual stimulation and critical advice; words cannot begin to express my profound gratitude. Also, to Professor Elodie Brun, Dr. Fredrik Söderbaum and Dr. Francisco Barroso and Mr. Roberto Khatlab (Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon) who were kind enough to provide well needed suggestions, sincere thank you to all. A heart full of wonderful endearments to those closest in Jamaica, California, France, Germany, New York, Switzerland and Turkey for their massive support in every possible way whether through thoughts, encouraging words, kind deeds and so much more, because of you my time in Ankara was most comfortable and pleasant. It is my fervent desire everyone in the Middle East region will be able to share bread together, regardless of religious affiliations, political views and cultural practices. Finally to the people of South America and the Caribbean may you bond with these your distant relatives, far away and yet so close? vi TABLE OF CONTENTS SIGNED PLAGIARISM PAGE ...................................................................................... III ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... IV ÖZ ........................................................................................................................................... V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................... VI TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... VII 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Layering a ‘diffuse type’ of Interregionalism .................................................... 13 1.2. Structure of the Thesis ....................................................................................... 17 2. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF INTERREGIONALISM ............................................. 24 2.1. Old-New Phenomenon: Regionalism and Interregionalism ............................... 25 2.2. Interregionalism: ‘The Nature of Actorship’ ..................................................... 28 2.2.1. Forms of Interregional Relations ........................................................ 31 2.2.2. Operationalizing Functions of Interregionalism ................................. 33 2.2.3. The Summit of South American-Arab Countries: Making of Independent Foreign Policy? ...................................................... 37 3. HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CATALYSTS ................................................................... 43 3.1. Distant Relatives: Early Migration ..................................................................... 45 3.2. Contextualising Current Relations: South-South Cooperation?......................... 48 3.3. Non-state Actors: Capitalising on the Diaspora? ............................................... 54 4. POLITICAL DIMENSIONS ............................................................................................. 66 4.1. Axis of Friendship: International Relations ....................................................... 68 4.2. Environmental Sustainability ............................................................................. 74 4.3. September 11, 2001 and the ‘Global War on Terror’ ........................................ 80 4.4. The Arab Uprisings 2011 ................................................................................... 85 4.5.