Lessons learned from Turkey's international mediation efforts in Syrian-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts since 2002: impact of impartiality of the mediator on the mediation outcomes

Official URL: http://192.168.1.20/record=b1304407 (Table of Contents)

The thesis aims to explore influence of impartiality of the Turkey's mediation efforts since 2002 in the conflicts of Israel-Syria and Israel-Palestine on the Turkey's mediation outcomes perceived by the disputants which are Israel, Palestine and Syria. This research examines the mediation process as a triangular process rather than dyadic by taking every disputants' perception towards the mediator into account. To this aim, comparative case study is used which is Turkey's mediation efforts in Syrian- Israeli and Israeli- Palestinian conflicts since 2002. The research consists of a textual analysis and in depth interviews. Most of the data used in this study derived from the official declarations of high level policy makers of Turkey, Israel, Palestine and Syria since 2002 as well as qualified newspaper accounts and academic writings. In order to complement those sources, interviews were conducted with the high level foreign policy makers of Turkey. Based on the research, the findings show that Turkey as a mediator could utilize its partiality by establishing a balanced relative bias towards disputants in order to achieve successful outcomes. Secondly, the distinction should be made between impartiality in attitude and impartiality in behavior. Accordingly, Turkey's impartiality in behavior, not necessarily impartiality in attitude; has a more positive influence on achieving successful outcomes.