Central Eurasia: New Faultlines With Global Implications
Vol. 6 No. 2 - Summer 2007

Central Eurasia: New Faultlines With Global Implications, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
In this issue of TPQ we explore energy, security, con fl ict  management, democratization, and state-building in the context of Central Eurasia. Drawing upon the framework and spirit of the ARI Movement’s 9th International...

• Nigâr Göksel

NATO's Role in Afghanistan, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
As the Former NATO Senior Civilian Representative for Afghanistan, Hikmet Çetin clarifies NATO’s role in Afghanistan. He describes the social and economic problems that are intertwined with the security challenges and highlights the...

• Hikmet Çetin

The Muslim World and Darfur, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Providing an outline of Sudan’s domestic dynamics and international engagement in recent years, the author makes the case that the Muslim world should play an active role in the situation of Darfur. So far, hundreds of thousands of Darfurian...

• Amjad Atallah

The Russian Federation as an Energy Supplier, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Explaining why Russian authorities are flexing their muscles towards the West and the policy options Russia faces in the energy sector, the author asserts that Turkey is increasingly central in securing Europe’s energy supply. He points out...

• Suat Akgün

Turkey’s Energy Ambitions Clash with Russian Succession Politics, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Caspian Basin is increasingly at the center of international energy competi-tion. Turkey aspires to enhance its chances of joining the European Union and increase its credentials as a regional power by making itself into a critical energyhub...

• Donald N. Jensen

Russia as a Black Sea Power, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The author highlights Russia’s determination to exploit its advantages in the sphere of energy for increased global power and argues that the West needs to match this determination with clear support for countries like Ukraine and Georgia that...

• Stephen Blank

Ninth Nuclear Power: Iran's Ambitions in the Middle East and Beyond, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Iran is feared because of the nature of the Islamic Republican system. This system does not limit itself to the geographic boundaries of Iran, but has a far grander vision. The fear is compounded when that vision has been substantiated with Iranian...

• Amin Tarzi

The Case of Iran: Will Nuclear Finlandization be Averted?, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The author, based on discussions that took place at the ARI Movement’s annual security conference in June 2007, expresses strong conviction that a nuclear-armed Iran posses great threat to world peace. He points out the parallels between...

• Joel Sprayregen

Iran Foreign Policy towards Iraq and Syria, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
  This paper investigates the roots of Iranian foreign policy toward Iraq and Syria after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Because of its geo-strategic location, political-cultural characteristics and energy sources, Iran is a pivotal state in...

• Kayhan Barzegar

Turkey's Iraq Policy, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The question, ultimately, weighing on the minds of many U.S. policy makers and strategists is whether a convergence can be found, if at all possible, between Turkish national interests, its government’s Islamist tinge, and U.S. regional...

• Oubai M. Shahbandar

NATO in Central Asia: In Search of Regional Harmony, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The events in Andijon in May 2005 precipitated a signifi cant deterioration of relations between Central Asian republics and the West, while at the same time enhancing Russian and Chinese positions in the region. Enhancing Western position in the...

• Katja Gersak

Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Prospect of Development in the Eurasia Region, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The authors outline the recent evolution and current framework of the SCO, stating that it is not an antagonistic security alliance as some in the West perceive it to be. Instead, they argue, it should be seen as a vehicle for increasing economic and...

• Prajakti Kalra
• Siddharth S. Saxena

The 2007 Parliamentary Elections in Kazakhstan: Results and Prospects, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
This article focuses on the political reform ongoing in Kazakhstan and the elections which took place in August 2007. The authors argue that democratization and positive change is underway and the failure of the opposition parties in the recent...

• Marian Abisheva
• Timur Shaimergenov

Uzbekistan: Lessons from the Field, Summer 2007Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The post–communist transition of Central Asia has been different from Eastern Europe. Two decades after the main swing to democracy has substantially changed the heart of Europe, Central Asian countries still seem somewhat frightened and...

• Mjusa Sever
• Fazil Khasanov