This book provides an overview of successes and failures of Turkey’s mediation initiatives in different fragile and post-conflict societies. It is the first of its kind to run a systematic analysis of Turkey’s peacemaking. This edited collection treats its readers with a variety of analyses on the dominant narratives that guide Turkish mediation, the tools used by the Turkish government, and Turkey’s evolving self-image as a mediator since the mid-2000s. The book sheds a critical spotlight on the learning curve of the Turkish Foreign Policy as it initiated and supported peace processes between the western Balkan countries, in the Middle East, in post-civil war Somalia, and in the nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1. The book concludes with a summary of assets, challenges, and opportunities for Turkey’s sustained emergence as a mediator in international politics.

The Singapore Convention on Mediation is just beginning its life as an international legal instrument. How is it likely to fare? In the second edition of this comprehensive, article-by-article commentary, the authors provide a robust report on the features of the Convention and their implications, with an analysis of potential controversies and authoritative clarifications of particular provisions. The book’s meticulous examination considers these issues and topics: international mediated settlement agreements as a new type of legal instrument in international law; types of settlement agreements that fall within the scope of the Convention; how the Convention’s enforcement mechanism works; the meaning of ‘international’ and the absence of a seat of mediation; the Convention’s approach to recognition and enforcement of international mediated settlement agreements; the grounds for refusal to grant relief under the Convention; mediator misconduct as a ground for refusal to grant relief; the role of confidentiality in granting relief for international mediated settlement agreements; the impact of the Convention on private international law; the relationship of the Singapore Convention to other international instruments such as the UN Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and the New York Convention on Arbitration; possibilities for Contracting States to declare reservations; court decisions from around the globe on the recognition and enforceability of international mediated settlement agreements; and domestic mediation legislation including domestic laws that implement the Singapore Convention. This book takes a giant step towards relieving the inherent uncertainty associated with how this newly constituted instrument may operate, and how States may become ‘Convention ready’. It is an essential reference for international lawyers, mediators and government officials as the Convention proves itself in the coming years.

Africa is increasingly becoming an arena for geopolitical competition over its resources and, in the last two decades, has seen many emerging powers such as China, India, Russia, Japan and Brazil attempting to strengthen their ties with the continent. Turkey's involvement has been much less discussed, despite the fact that Turkey's strategic involvement with several sub-Saharan African states has been deepening since its active engagement in the Somali crisis of 2011. Federico Donelli brings to light the extent of Turkey's involvement in Africa and analyses the unique characteristics, benefits, challenges and limits of Turkish policy in the region. The book examines the Turkish diplomatic programme as well as its domestic reception, which includes humanitarian aid, religious links such as the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), as well as private business links. Crucially, Donelli examines what makes Turkish involvement different from that of other international actors in the region – its historic ties with North Africa under the Ottoman Empire.

This volume sheds new light on the interaction between Turkey and the Western Balkans. Written from a multidisciplinary perspective, the contributions decode the essence of bilateral relations by analyzing various aspects of regional diplomacy, including official initiatives for cooperation and the impact of different interstate exchanges. In addition to the political aspect, the book highlights the economic dimensions of Turkey’s involvement in the Western Balkans, by exploring trade linkages and prospects for future partnership arrangements. Finally, socio-cultural components of bilateral relations are examined, with some contributors focusing on the role of art, religion, and cultural heritage in Turkish foreign policy toward the Western Balkans. While providing detailed analysis and reflections on Turkey’s direction and policy preferences, this unique collection appeals to scholars of international relations, Balkan and Turkish studies, and other neighboring disciplines, as well as to policymakers and general readership interested in the region and international collaboration.

During the first half of the twentieth century, the international system was largely dominated by the USA and the colonial powers of western Europe. After the two world wars, the political and economic dominance of these states guaranteed them and their allies an almost complete control of world politics. However, as it is the norm in the international system, power structures are not immutable. After the end of the Cold War, rapid changes to the existing international hierarchies took place, as new countries from the so-called ‘‘developing world’’ began to emerge as crucial actors capable of questioning and altering the power dynamics of the world. It is therefore unthinkable to ignore emerging countries such as Russia, the People’s Republic of China, India, Brazil or South Africa in the decision-making process in today’s world order. In addition, there is a group of smaller, yet increasingly important countries that, while acknowledging their inability radically to change the rules of the international system, are still eager to shift power relations and enhance their influence in the world. Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Vietnam are generally recognised as part of this grouping of emerging powers from the Global South. While there is a consensus amongst academics that emerging powers from the Global South must have a stabilising role within their own regions, previous analyses have focused primarily on the impact that emerging powers have had in their own regions’ conflict resolution initiatives. This volume, instead, aims to go beyond these analyses and provide new insights regarding the effect that this stabilising role has on the continental and global positioning of emerging powers. In other words, this book explores the relation between a country’s involvement in conflict resolution initiatives and its positioning in the international system. The volume will contribute to this approach using the perspective of academics and practitioners from countries of the Global South, particularly from states that have strengthened - or sometimes weakened - their position in the international hierarchy of power through a leading role in regional conflict resolution initiatives.