Balkans

Research conducted by: RAND Europe; RAND Project AIR FORCE; RAND National Security Research Division

All Items (115)

Commentary

Turkey and Intervention in Syria — May 15, 2013

When President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet in Washington on May 16, a long list of topics will likely be on the table. The big question, however, is whether anything substantive comes from their discussions of Syria.

Commentary

Why It's No Longer the Chummy 1990s for Turkey, Israel — Apr 8, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, April 7, 2013

President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are working hard to repair relations between Turkey and Israel and deserve credit for their efforts. But much has changed for both countries since they cooperated in the 1990s, and progress toward rapprochement will likely be slow.

Commentary

Why Erdogan Wants Peace With the PKK — Mar 27, 2013

Kurdistan Workers' Party soldiers, commonly known as PKK near the Iran/Iraqi Kurdistan border

With the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) now apparently ready to try to peacefully resolve differences with Turkey, the prospects that the uprising will come to an end have improved, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

Commentary

The Russia Gambit — Feb 26, 2013

Unless he can convince allies like Turkey as well as skeptics like Russia that the United States is serious about altering the trajectory of the conflict, Kerry might as well skip the Syria talking points and focus on other issues.

Report

The Benefits of Nation-Building Interventions Have Exceeded the Costs — Feb 4, 2013

Cambodian garment factory workers travel home from work in Kampong Chhnang province, north of Phnom Penh

Most interventions in the past 25 years have been followed by improved security, some degree of democratization, and significant economic growth—with only a modest commitment of international military and civilian manpower and economic assistance.

Commentary

Turkey Edges Toward Seeking NATO Support in Syria Crisis — Nov 21, 2012

As the crisis along the border between Syria and Turkey intensifies, Turkey appears on the brink of a formal request to the North Atlantic Council that NATO deploy Patriot missiles to help defend the border, writes Christopher Chivvis.

Periodical

Window on the World: Elections and Other Leadership Transitions in 2012 — Sep 21, 2012

With 2012 seeing dozens of presidential elections around the globe and several additional leadership transitions, RAND experts offer observations on some of the nations in flux.

Commentary

Taking Syria Seriously — Aug 25, 2012

The US needs a more activist, assertive policy toward Syria aimed at ending the conflict in such a way that bolsters regional stability and facilitates a peaceful democratic transition, write F. Stephen Larrabee and Wasif Syed.

Commentary

Abandoning the Euro Would Devastate Greece — Aug 17, 2012

Greece is best off doing whatever it takes to remain on the rescue program prescribed by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, while tackling on its own the structural constraints to growth, writes Charles Ries.

Report

Understanding and Influencing Public Support for Insurgency and Terrorism — Aug 3, 2012

Public support for al-Qa'ida's transnational jihadist movement, the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey, and the Maoist insurgency in Nepal is examined using a conceptual model that draws on social science and social movement theory.

Commentary

The Turkish-Iranian Alliance That Wasn't — Jul 11, 2012

As pressures for greater democracy in the Middle East have intensified, Turkey and Iran have clashed more openly and each side has sought to expand its influence at the expense of the other, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

Report

U.S. Air Force Engagement with Turkey on Energy Security Looks Promising — Jun 19, 2012

Turkey aspires to become a key transit state for moving both natural gas and oil from the Caspian region and from the broader Middle East via pipelines crossing its territory. U.S.-Turkish cooperation on energy security issues offers a promising yet modest opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

News Release

U.S. Military's Role with Petroleum Is to Assure Security — Jun 19, 2012

Energy purchases made by the U.S. Department of Defense do not influence world oil prices, making cutting fuel use the only effective choice to reduce what the Pentagon spends on petroleum fuels.

Report

Evaluating the Sustainability of the Greek R&D System — Oct 10, 2011

An evaluation by RAND Europe of the Greek research and development (R&D) system has identified opportunities to improve economic growth and social outcomes.

News Release

Evaluating the Sustainability of the Greek R&D System — Oct 10, 2011

An evaluation by RAND Europe of the Greek research and development (R&D) system has identified opportunities to improve economic growth and social outcomes.

Commentary

Time to Arm Libyan Rebels: Here's How — Apr 13, 2011

The long-term objective of a train-and-equip program for the Libyan revolutionary government would be to create a professional military force in a post-Qaddafi Libya that could support democratic institutions free of extremist elements, writes Angel Rabasa.

Commentary

Arm the Libyan Rebels to Fight Gadhafi — Mar 24, 2011

What the United States did in Bosnia might hold the key for an effective response to the crisis in Libya, writes Angel Rabasa.

Commentary

The Turkish Chimera — Mar 23, 2011

The Turkish model—with its emphasis on secularism and democracy—has obvious appeal in a region burdened by corrupt, autocratic, incompetent, and inefficient governments. But Turkey's historical experience and political evolution differ in important ways from Arab countries', writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

Commentary

What Intervention Looks Like — Mar 16, 2011

The question, then, is whether stopping the fighting—which could also require forcibly removing Qaddafi—is worth the price of deep military engagement and responsibility for Libya's postwar future, writes Robert E. Hunter.

Commentary

The US Midterm Elections and US-Turkish Relations — Nov 23, 2010

Some Turkish commentators have written off Obama as a lame duck and advised the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government to begin reconsidering relations in the post-election period. However, foreign policy played virtually no role in the election, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

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