International Conference: American Foreign Policy and the Middle East - Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey May 24-25, 2016

Maltepe University
http://maltepe.edu.tr/en
Istanbul, Turkey
May 24 and 25, 2016

Marmara Eğitim Köyü, Maltepe/Istanbul – TURKEY (0216) 626 1050
http://www.marmaotel.com/

IMPORTANT
RSVP IS REQUIRED;
FOR RSVP, PLEASE SEND YOUR FULL NAME AND INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION to: tugrulkeskin(at)maltepe.edu.tr or tugrulk(at)vt.edu
You will receive an email confirmation. If you do not, you haven’t been accepted to attend the conference.
For more information:0533-607-8465 

International Conference: American Foreign Policy and the Middle East - Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey May 24-25, 2016

International Conference: American Foreign Policy and the Middle East - Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey May 24-25, 2016

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
American Foreign Policy and the Middle East

Organized by Graduate School of Social Sciences at Maltepe University

Maltepe University
http://maltepe.edu.tr/en
Istanbul, Turkey
May 24 and 25, 2016

Marmara Eğitim Köyü, Maltepe/Istanbul – TURKEY (0216) 626 1050
http://www.marmaotel.com/

IMPORTANT - RSVP IS REQUIRED:
FOR RSVP, PLEASE SEND YOUR FULL NAME AND INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION to: tugrulkeskin(at)maltepe.edu.tr or tugrulk(at)vt.edu
You will receive an email confirmation. If you do not, you haven’t been accepted to attend the conference.
For more information:0533-607-8465 

Objectives and Description: The conference aims to investigate and examine the emergence, development and transformation of American Foreign Policy towards the Middle East from the 1940s to the present time. United States imperial interests in the region date back to 19th century missionary movements; however, the US began to play a major role in the region right after WWII, with the Cold War Era. In the meantime, the establishment of NATO, declaration of Israeli Independence in 1948 and the creation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict created chaotic political dilemmas for the US as well as for regional alliances. In addition, the reliance of the American economy on oil, and its support for Israel transformed US foreign policy into a ‘dependent’ Foreign policy. This is shown in the way that interest groups have played a major role in their ability to shape US Foreign Policy in the region. In this conference, we examine the emergence, development and transformation of American Foreign Policy Toward the Middle East since the 1940s and in doing so, we will examine Iranian, Turkish, Israeli and Arab perspectives.


THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN AN EDITED VOLUME

ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Barış Doster, Marmara University, Turkey
Dr. Bassam Haddad, George Mason University, USA
Dr. Behlul Ozkan, Marmara University, Turkey
Dr. Can Ulusoy, Maltepe University, Turkey
Dr. Geoffrey Gresh, National Defense University, USA
Dr. Kemal Silay, Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies Chair, Indiana University, USA
Dr. Imad Mansour, Qatar University, Qatar
Dr. Jamsheed Choksy, Indiana University, USA
Dr. Mohammedmoin Sadeq, Qatar University, Qatar
Dr. Sean Foley, Middle Tennessee State University, USA
Dr. Süleyman Seyfi Öğün, Maltepe University, Turkey
Dr. Tuğrul Keskin, Maltepe University, Turkey


CONFERENCE PROGRAM

MONDAY May 23, 2016
Welcome Reception -

TUESDAY May 24, 2016

9:00 - 9:30 Opening Ceremony

9:00 - 9:15 Welcome Speech by President Sahin KARASAR, Maltepe University

9:15 - 9:45 TBA

10:00 - 12:00
Panel-1: EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS THE MIDDLE EAST
Moderator: Dr. Geoffrey Gresh, National Defense University, USA.

1) How Big Tobacco Used Islam and Modernity to Conquer Saudi Arabia - Sean Foley, Middle Tennessee State University USA.
2) From ‘Heathen Turks’ to ‘Cruel Turks’: Changing American Perception and Foreign Policy towards the Middle East in the Nineteenth Century - Cengiz Sisman, University of Houston-CL, USA - Ozlem Madi, Bahcesehir University, Turkey.
3) Bristol: An American Naval Officer and Diplomat – Hakan Özoğlu, Professor of History - Director, Middle Eastern Studies, University of Central Florida, USA.
4) American-Qatari Partnership in the Post-Gulf Area: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship - Fatma Aslı Kelkitli, Assistant Professor, Istanbul Arel University, Department of Political Science and Public Administration.


12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-15:00
Panel-2: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE COLD WAR ERA AND THE POST-COLD WAR ERA
Moderator: Dr. Sean Foley, Middle Tennessee State University, USA.

1) “American Atomic Policy and Hashemite Iraq, 1954-1958” - Elizabeth Bishop, Associate Professor, Texas State University, USA.
2) US Foreign Policy Towards Turkey in the Post-War Era - Gökser Gökçay, Independent Researcher, Izmir, Turkey.
3) United States and Legacy of the Cold War politics to the contemporary Middle East - İlksoy Aslım, Near East University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
4) Balance of Power Breakdown and Strategic Inertia: The US in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Conundrum, Kostas Ifantis, Kadir Has University & Panteion University, Athens.


15:00-15:30 Coffee Break

15:30-17:30
Panel-3: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS GCC
Moderator: Dr. Ahmet Uysal, Marmara University, Turkey.

1) Safeguarding Saudi Arabia: The U.S. Military and Base Politics - Geoffrey F. Gresh, Director of the South and Central Asia Program at the College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, USA.
2) American Foreign Policy Towards GCC – Michael McCall, Leiden University, Netherlands.
3) The US Foreign Policy Towards the Arab States - Hebah Bukhari , San Diego State University, USA.
4) American Foreign Policy Toward Turkey between 1946 and 1960 - Cüneyt Akalın, Marmara University and Istanbul Arel University,Turkey.
5) ‘Is our program lessening the gap?’: Lessons on democracy in the Cold-War Middle East - Louis Mazzari, Bogazici University, Turkey.


19:00 – 20:00 DINNER

WEDNESDAY, May 25, 2016

10:00-12:00
Panel-4: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS TURKEY AND IRAN
Moderator: Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar, Atilim University, Turkey.

1) Turkish and US Attitudes Towards Foreign Policy/American Foreign Policy Towards Turkey - Mark Meirowitz, SUNY Maritime College, USA.
2) Turkish Tug-of-War: How Geography and Ideas Shaped U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Turkey, Nickolas A. Spencer, International Studies at Texas State University, USA.
3) A Systemic Approach to United States’ Security Relationship with Iran and Turkey: Implications for Cold War and Post-Cold War Order - Suleyman Elik, Istanbul Medeniyet University/Faculty of Political Science/International Relations.
4) The Political interest of the US towards the Middle East: trends and factors of the US-Iran-Turkish relations - Sadikov Mirkomil, Kadir Has University, Turkey.


12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-15:30
Panel-5: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS ARAB STATES
Moderator: Dr. Imad Mansour, Qatar University, Qatar or Dr. Behlul Ozkan, Marmara University, Turkey.

1) The United States and Political Islam.  Dealing with the Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab Revolutions - Mohamed-Ali Adraoui, European University Institute, Italy.
2) Promoting or Resisting Change?  The United States and Arab Spring States in Transitions - Ahmed Ali Salem Associate Professor, Institute for Islamic World Studies, Zayed University, UAE.
3) Arab Occidentalism: Images of America in the Middle East - Eid Mohamed, Doha Institute, Qatar.
4) Assessing the Obama Administration’s Middle East Policy - Ahmed El Hamzaoui – Morocco.

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