Middle East and North Africa Events
Regional Security Complex Theory and Turkish Foreign Policy: NATO Missile Shield, Eurasian Energy Politics and the Arab Spring
May 03, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
European Studies
Turkish foreign policy is coming under increasing scrutiny since the election of the ruling Justice and Development Party in 2002. Critiques state that Turkish foreign policy is becoming 'neo-Ottoman' or 'Islamist', arguing that Turkey is moving closer to the Middle East than Europe. The underlying hypothesis of Hamid Akin Unver's lecture however, argues that Turkey's foreign policy is not becoming more Islamist; it is becoming more British, following a pattern of external affairs in which identity is becoming increasingly more pronounced. By focusing on three case studies: Turkey’s self-appointed role as an energy hub between Europe and Russia, its role in NATO and its recent installation of the missile defense shield, and finally, its changing stance against Iran and Syria following the Arab Spring, the lecture will discuss how identity (as it relates to the narratives of history and culture) shape Turkey’s foreign policy understanding and patterns of cooperation and conflict.
Iraqi Women Leaders in Engineering and Applied Sciences
April 26, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Middle East Program
Iraqi women leaders shared their experiences as engineers and scientists, working and teaching in Iraq, with stabilizing, rebuilding, and providing for the long-term development of their country.
Tunisia’s Islamists Struggle to Rule
April 25, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Middle East Program
David Ottaway’s recent visit to Tunisia found Ennahda grappling with daunting challenges as it faces an intense struggle between militant Islamists and secularists and a battered economy.
New Beginning or Just Showdown Postponed?: A Look at the Renewed Talks with Iran over its Nuclear Program
April 24, 2012 // 8:30am — 9:30am
Middle East Program
Michael Adler was in Istanbul for the breakthrough talks April 14 between Iran and six world powers, which have re-started the negotiating process, and will present his analysis.
The Arab Spring, a Year On: How’s America Faring?
April 23, 2012 // 9:30am — 11:00am
Middle East Program
Political changes in the Arab world have created a new landscape for the United States. Four experts on the region and its politics examined the impact of these changes on hopes for democratization and Arab-Israeli peace, as well as the future of American influence and interests.
Democracy and Human Rights in Iran: A Conference in Honor of Siamak Pourzand [Carnegie]
April 19, 2012 // 9:00am — 1:45pm
Middle East Program
In commemoration of Siamak Pourzand's life and work, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, and the Middle East Program held a public conference on the state of democratic values and human rights in Iran. This event took place at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The Islamists Are Coming: Who They Really Are
April 18, 2012 // 12:30pm — 2:00pm
Islamists are Coming
As dictatorships fall, parties tied to the Arab world’s conservative religious tradition are getting stronger. An expert panel looks at what this means for the US, Israel, and the world—drawing on the new book, The Islamists Are Coming, by Center expert Robin Wright.
Fostering the Next Generation: Evolving Models of Women’s Leadership in the Middle East
April 18, 2012 // 9:30am — 11:00am
Middle East Program
The Middle East Program, ExxonMobil, and the Centre for Development and Population Activities will host a conference on women's leadership in the Middle East.
Year of Decision: Obama, Netanyahu and Competing Strategies to Deal with Iran
March 23, 2012 // 12:00pm — 1:30pm
International Security Studies
David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent of the New York Times, discusses the Iran nuclear challenge as an issue in U.S.-Israeli relations in the wake of Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington and President Obama’s important speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Regional Perspectives on the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit
March 21, 2012 // 3:00pm — 5:30pm
Asia Program
On March 26-27, Seoul will host the second Nuclear Security Summit, an initiative established by the Obama administration in Washington in 2010. Fifty world leaders, as well as scores of NGOs and industry and business representatives on the periphery of the central meeting, will discuss the summit’s main aim: to prevent loose nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists. Naturally, different regional actors will have different agendas and priorities for the summit, and it is therefore important to consider the issues and concerns for Northeast Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and former Soviet states and stakeholders.