RECONCILING REFUGEE PROTECTION WITH COMBATING IRREGULAR MIGRATION:TURKEY AND THE EU

Kemal Kirişçi

During the course of the 1990s, the issue of immigration in general and irregular migration in particular, has been high up on the political agenda of many European countries. The arrival of boats full of illegal migrants to the shores of France and Italy, especially during the late 1990s, accompanied by surges in the number of asylum seekers during the same period, played an important role in the rise of anti-immigration feelings in some European countries. These developments came to dominate the domestic politics of a number of EU countries and became hotly contested issues during election campaigns. Efforts to develop a "common asylum and immigration" European Union policy has also been deeply influenced by these developments.

OPENING THE INTELLIGENCE WINDOW:
REALIST LOGIC AND THE INVASION OF IRAQ

Jason D. Söderblom

James R. Schlesinger, the current chairman of the Mitre Corporation, and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as well as a former Secretary of Defence, spoke at the Fourth Public Hearing on Intelligence and the War on Terrorism in mid 2003. He said: "Intelligence is highly successful in dealing with routine developments. It is, however, particularly prone to failure at the turning points of history. It is perhaps obvious that the problems of intelligence become even harder when we deal with non-Western cultures, amplified when we are attempting to understand those who regard us as infidels. Nonetheless, I believe that we can do better in responding to terrorism. Until now we have not been sufficiently strategic and long term in our analytical efforts. We have relied too much on secret intelligence and too much on country expertise".

THE DOCTRINE OF PRE-EMPTION AND THE WAR IN IRAQ
UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Aylin Seker Görener

The use of force in self-defence is lawful only if an armed attack occurs – not if one is likely to occur – against a state. Customary international law permits pre-emptive self-defence only when a threat is so grave and imminent that the victim cannot wait to act in self-defence until the attack has actually started. The Bush doctrine of pre-emption as formulated in the National Security Strategy (NSS) goes beyond this narrow principle and reserves the right to attack pre-emptively even without a definite and imminent threat.

THE NILE QUESTION: THE ACCORDS ON THE WATER OF THE NILE
AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON COOPERATIVE SCHEMES IN THE BASIN

Mohammed Abdo

Some authorities identify the Nile basin as one of the hotspots in an area where violent conflict could break out over the shared water resource because of the various hydropolitical intricacies it involves. Mounting demands for more water, an alarming population growth rate, the absence of comprehensive legal and institutional frameworks, and relations among the riparian states that are marred with suspicion and misunderstanding, are among the major factors creating the potential for an extreme conflict in the basin.

TURKS OF KOSOVO AND PROTECTION OF MINORITY CULTURE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

Nazif Mandaci

It has become apparent that the interim administration in Kosovo has chosen to consolidate a democratic regime with its well-known, classical institutions. What makes this a problem, is the fact that such a democratic regime in Kosovo, based on the will of the majority, may generate new epicentres of conflict between communities which have long been engaged in hostilities. Possibly, democracy may survive in such a deeply divided society with the introduction of a political model, which relies upon sharing political power between the communities involved.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS OF THE KASHMIR PROBLEM AND PAKISTAN'S POLICY AFTER SEPTEMBER 11

A.Z.Hilali

The Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan remains a complex, volatile and intractable issue which has plagued both countries since independence in 1947 and it is still a matter of international interest. In many ways, Kashmir is an ethnic, religious and territorial issue with the potential for strategic and economic gains to India and Pakistan. Both nations have strong legal and moral claims to Kashmir, which has virtually reconciled itself to accepting the status quo and has even practically abandoned its insistence on the right of the Kashmiris to self-determination.

CHANGING SECURITY PERCEPTIONS IN TURKISH IRANIAN RELATIONS

Özden Zeynep Oktav

Kurdish separatism and Islamic fundamentalism, which were allegedly backed by Iran throughout the 1990s, were the two main factors which brought about the deterioration in bilateral relations. This article mainly focuses on the reasons for the great shift in current relations between Turkey and Iran.