Book Review - Turkish-Saudi Relations: Cooperation and Competition in the Middle East
By Betul Dogan-Akkas - 26 May 2021
Turkish-Saudi Relations: Cooperation and Competition in the Middle East by Sinem Cengiz. Berlin: Gerlach Press, 2020. 197 pp., £75 hardcover 9783959941341, e-book 9783959941358
The latest work by Sinem Cengiz on Turkish-Saudi relations provides a comprehensive analysis. Turkey’s political, economic and military relations towards the Middle East are essential issues that remain significant for scholars and students of international relations working on the region. Despite the need for a comprehensive assessment of Turkey’s approach to countries in the region, the literature on Gulf studies lacks elaboration of the bilateral ties between Turkey and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. Cengiz’s book thus fills a gap and scrutinizes the evolution of Turkish-Saudi relations, considering three - domestic, regional and international - levels of analysi
A senior research fellow, managing the Gulf-Asia Programme at the EDA, Dr Janardhan argues that, along with economic diversification, the Gulf countries have also diversified their foreign policies, especially with China, India, Japan and South Korea, among others. “This could eventually alter the US-centric security paradigm that currently prevails in the Gulf. Many of the chapters explore and rationalise the need for an Asian-led collective security architecture for the Gulf.” With chapter contributions from academics and former diplomats in China, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the UAE, the book has been published by Gerlach Press, Germany. According to the author, the book serves as a useful tool for scholars, policy-makers and students in the Gulf, Asia and elsewhere, including Europe and the United States.