The Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East (review)

Ali Carkoglu, Mine Eder, and Kemal Kirisci: The Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East. New York: Routledge, 1998. 232 pages. ISBN 0-415-19445-8. $100.

The repercussions resulting from the end of the Cold War, trends in globalization, and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War have been the impetus for dramatic political reassessments and economic reforms by governments and institutions in the Middle East. Steps are being taken toward peace and stability in a region that has long been mired in conflict and mutual distrust. This volume by Turkish scholars Ali Carkoglu, Mine Eder, and Kemal Kirisci seeks to explain the factors that led to a new era in Middle East history driven by emerging global economic trends.

The Political Economy of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East poses two complex questions. First, can the Arab-Israeli peace process provide enough incentive for countries in the region to readjust their policies so that they lead toward market-oriented economic and democratic practices, and would these reforms foster efficient allocation of resources for the benefit of growing populations? Second, what are the implications for peace, stability, security, and regional cooperation given the current political economy in the region? These are crucial questions for a volatile region that has lagged its European neighbors economically and politically because of its long-standing preoccupation with security issues and the propensity of its governments to monopolize economic planning and activity.

The extensive research conducted by the three contributing authors to this study sustains five general hypotheses: (1) positive changes in international and regional politics make regional cooperation increasingly possible; (2) peace and economic cooperation within the region are mutually reinforcing processes and foster sustained stability and economic growth; (3) like-minded states are most likely to serve as core actors in initiating regional cooperation; (4) intergovernmental agreements absent supportive domestic constituencies invariably lead to unstable cooperation; and (5) Turkey's role in the Middle East as a like-minded actor makes it a pivotal agent in helping build political and economic bridges.

The opening chapter summarizes the current political and economic circumstances of the region and explains the methodology and organization of the study. As the authors see it, the Middle East comprises the geographic area of those Arab countries in close proximity to Turkey as well as the North African countries engaged in high levels of trade with Turkey prior to the 1991 Gulf War. In their view, Turkey serves as an example of a secular, pro-Western society that is under external and internal pressures pulling it in opposite directions: attempting to maintain economic ties with the Middle East, on the one hand, while pursuing its political aspirations of entering the European Union, on the other.

Like-minded states are defined as relatively open and democratic countries, such as Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, and Turkey, that "can play a leading role in fostering regional cooperation." Turkey is seen as the catalyst in the post-Cold War era as it plays "a constructive and engaging role in building a new Middle East."

The methodology of the study is based on Robert Putnam's two-level game framework, which provides a clear link between interdependent political and economic variables interacting at both international and domestic levels. This framework incorporates "negotiations between governments" (level one) with "a simultaneous analysis of the negotiators as well as their interaction with their domestic constituencies" (level two). Putnam's two-level approach is effective in presenting a holistic analysis of the region.

Chapter 2 explains different types of regionalism and provides a table that sets forth different schemes of regional cooperation using trade agreements as the linking element between countries. The study also provides clear, well-established linkages between political economy theories and their application to reality, as presented in an extensive economic mapping of the Middle East (chapter 4) and a case study of Turkey (chapter 8). Chapter...