فصلنامه آفاق امنیت
پیاپی 13 (زمستان 1390)

Iran’s security environment is very diverse and complex. In recent years, the positive developments happened for Iran that has provided exceptional opportunities for it. In other words, the noisy threatswere created against Iran in above-mentioned environment so that regional and global powers have placed containment of Iran as one of their main priorities. In the past year, the wave of Islamic Awakening has actuated dimensions of potential opportunities. Deal with these unique threats and also put to use of this exceptional opportunities requires accumulation of national power and managementand careful planning in which strategists and diplomats has decisive role in this framework.

The Middle East is of a special importance and position in the world system. The Recent developments (popular-religious movements) have had significance impact on the equations of the world system in particular regional system in the geostrategic region of Middle East. The Recent developments have caused America’s strategic position (as the hegemony with national interests in the global scope) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (as a regional power) to experienced many changes and transformations.This research reviews and analyzes the impact of the strategic developments on the weight and position of Iran and America as two strategic competitors in the Middle East. The findings of this research are based on this face that the recent Islam-oriented developments are along formation ofpopular-religious governments. Given the nature of the popular-religious revolutions, Iran’s strategic position and weight (with regard to the objectives and nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s political system) is increasing in the region and accordingly, power of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be strengthened in the region. On the contrary, America’s strategic position and weight is decreasing in the region and accordingly process of America’s quest for hegemony will be declined in the region.

Islam has established homogeneous geography in the Middle East in accordance with culture, history and importance of land. In the modern era, four-waves of reformative, critical, radical and civil awakening have shaped political developments including constitutionalism, revolution, modern dictatorship and democratic movements in this region collectively and consciously. Western scholars and actors have tried to pursue strategic and careful plans, using of theoretical and experimental findings for maintaining self-interest such as security-building in the Middle East, maintenance of political economy of world energy, and protection of the modern and postmodern dictatorships. This article tries to answer this question: “what are conditions faced by the Islamic countries to lead implementing the strategy”. In other words, what are security strategies in the west generally? And up until now, what solutions have been chosen to achieve their political goals?

Islamic Republic of Iran considers “ECO” as regional grouping which serves its interests. But foreign provocations and interferences among members of the organization don’t allow to “ECO” turns into an actual regional grouping in its current circumstances and structure. Due to the fact that eight members of the ECO, namely Azerbaijan Republic, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan are located in the region of Caspian- Central Asia, this organization can be considered as a potential regional organization in area of Caspian– Central Asia and as an organization that will be able to create a regional grouping from among countries of the region actually and importantly. This article tries to examines integrating and diverging factors and theirs measurement in formation of a regional organization with use of descriptive - analytical method and Delphi method and relying on library resources. The research findings in two general category and integrating factors (geopolitics of access, pipeline geopolitics, and role of Iran geoculture and...) and diverging factors (role of transregional forces, difference in the nature of political systems, interregionaldisputes and competitions and. ..) don’t show clear vision to achieve an effective regional system in medium-term horizon.

The article theme is analysis and explanation of trend of the supremacy of Islamic movements in Turkey’s contemporary political discourse. Analyzing and reviewing the approaches of explanting Islamicmovements briefly, in this article, the process of political Islam growing in Turkey has been considered in particular. To understand the backgrounds of emergence of Islamic movements in Turkey, at first the constitutive elements of its rival discourse namely Kamalism and then, three periods of political mobilization of Turkey’s Islamic movements are examined. Having showed the happened discursive transformation, we are examined Turkish quest for hegemony carried out by the Justice and Development Party’s discourse. Turkey’s Islamic movements have addressed expansion of organizational networks and strategies and tactics opposed to the prevailing secularism mainstream in the various periods of Turkey Republic history with use of the existing political opportunities and understanding of the Turkish society.

Islamic Republic of Iran’s relations with Turkey entered a new phase after taking office the Islamists and the Justice and Development Party- led Turkey since 2002. So that this period is named as the spring of bilateral relations. But because of recent developments in the Middle East after over a period of friendly and stable relations, it seems bilateral relations have been faced with challenges. The present article attempts to analyzes components of Ankara’s policy changing with regard to the constructivism theory and will be analyzed its implications on the national security of Iran. The research findings confirmed the assumption that the most important challenges in relations betweenIran and Turkey has been focused around three themes: developments in Syria, mainstream so called the Islamic awakening, and establishment of a NATO’s missile defense system in Turkey. The third factor has had the greatest impact on the bilateral relations. Because, unlike the previous factors, it is considered as a direct threat against Islamic Republic of Iran’ national security. Research method in the current research is descriptive–analytical method with use of the library andInternet resources.

European Continent has always been cradle of emergence of security arrangements. For example, balance of power and concert of Europe system were two cases of the most famous Europe’s securitysystems. After World War II, Europe end up lacking its own independent security system and, for its security relied on NATO in which United States of America had the main role. Hence, for the first time,Europe relied on a security system that was not native. Following the Soviet collapse and removal of its threats, member countries of the European Union began to pursue an independent security system that the attempts resulted in creation of European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). The main purpose of this paper is examination of the relationship between NATO and European Security and DefensePolicy (ESDP) and its impact on the Europe’s security.