Akdeniz İçin Birlik: Neden Başarısız Oldu ve Nasıl Etkili Olabilir?
The Union For the Mediterranean: Why Did it Fail and How Should it be Effective?

Summary/Abstract: As the continuation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (the Barce¬lona Process), the Union for the Mediterranean was established in 2008 in order to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region. However, the Union for the Mediterranean is now far from achi¬eving its goals and has thus been deemed unsuccessful. This article aims to explain the reasons behind the failure of the Union for the Mediterra¬nean and in what ways the European Union can make it effective. It is argued in this article that the Union for the Mediterranean failed first of all due to the Arab-Israeli conflict, which led to the collapse of the le¬ading institutions of the new initiative. Other regional conflicts, such as those between Morocco and Algeria, Turkey and the Greek Cypriots, and Turkey and Israel, have limited the development of common projects that would have enabled the Union for the Mediterranean to achieve its aims. In addition to these regional conflicts, lack of trust between the two shores of the Mediterranean and the traditional negative approach of Israel to the European Union’s Mediterranean cooperation policies are serious problems for developing cooperation under the Union for the Mediterranean. In this context, if the European Union wants to make the Union for the Mediterranean an effective initiative it can assume a more active role in solving regional conflicts, support the legalization of radical Islamic political parties’ involvement in politics, and encourage Israel to actively participate in the Union for the Mediterranean.

• Details
• Contents