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Purpose: There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of Islamic financial literacy (IFL) while it is at the heart of our understanding of the overall financial system. To date, insufficient attention has been paid to Turkey, the Balkans and other potential Islamic finance hubs like Suriname. In fact, there have been no attempts to examine IFL in those regions or economies. The purpose of this paper is to test and validate the IFL scale developed by Dinc et al. (2021) in an international setting. By doing so, this study elaborates on possible antecedents and levels of IFL across countries and economic systems. Design/methodology/approach: The design of the questionnaire used is based on the principles of Islamic finance and covers all the segments. The total number of collected observations is 3,579. This study uses the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to ascertain the factor structure and test the revised scale fit with the original form. Besides, IBM AMOS 25 Graphics is used for calculating the fit indexes for the scale. Findings: The results from the CFA revealed that the scale has a good fit for its original and kept the four-dimensional structure. In addition, it also indicates that the predeveloped IFL scale is valid for different cultures, countries and individuals either having conventional or Islamic financial institutions preferences. Furthermore, results of empirical tests demonstrate that Turkey is significantly higher in Islamic financial awareness, whereas other countries' group is higher on all other subdimensions of the scale. On the other hand, female respondents indicate significantly higher levels of Islamic financial awareness, and male respondents show significantly higher levels of Islamic financial knowledge. Finally, the most prominent finding to emerge from the analysis is that the principles of Islamic finance are well accepted, except for some liberal views on the concept of "interest" (riba). Research limitations/implications: Because of the diverse demography of the collected sample observations, this revised scale has a homogeneous set of implications. This IFL scale can accurately measure the level of IFL attained by an individual, group, society or nation, as well as suggest necessary actions based on its four-dimensional structure. Originality/value: This study tests the IFL scale by considering two key elements: increased sample size and vast geographical coverage. To ensure that the developed scale is universal, this study took into account more than 3,000 observations from 28 different countries. These amendments ensure the uniqueness of this paper and its originality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balkans is considered a vital area in international relations. It has always attracted and is still attracting the interest of global and regional powers and factors on the international stage, including Turkey. Besides the political, economic, and defense aspects, the soft power of Turkish multidimensional diplomacy represents one of the most important segments of the relations between Turkey and the Balkan countries. Turkish government institutions like the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs), Yunus Emre, Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), TIKA, Turkish State Media, Maarif education institutions, and various non-governmental organizations represent some of the most vital segments of the cultural, religious and educational expansion of the Turkish state in the Balkan countries. This paper is mainly based on the following research methods: historical, descriptive, and in-depth analysis. This study aims to answer the main question of this research - Do the above-mentioned soft power policy tools play a vital role in the further development of Turkey-Balkan countries relations? This paper concludes that the Turkish soft power policy in the Balkans faces a series of challenges that affect its expansion's functionality and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Praehistorische Zeitschrift is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigated the role of interactive tourist mobile apps in tourism development. The researchers presented the e-Tracer application, which was developed taking into consideration the recent advantages in mobile computing, the importance of user-generated content and the needs of northern Greece and the lower Balkan countries. Apart from crowd-based content creation, a new generation of apps for tourism development may include additional components like serious games for tourists, map-based navigation systems and augmented/virtual reality applications, in order to offer memorable user experiences for tourists. An agile content management system design methodology was followed by taking into account the needs of alternative tourist destinations, small to medium sized real-world museums and driver rest areas located around highways which connect cross-country destinations in the lower Balkan countries and Turkey. This work positioned the role of interactive crowd-enhanced platforms for content management of tourist-related information in tourism development, economic growth and sustainability of the Egnatia motorway surrounding areas in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to research the impact of a public administration reform on the economic development of the Western Balkan (WB) countries. The research covers a ten-year period (2009 - 2019), and is conducted on a sample of 19 countries (so called New EU Member States, Turkey and 6 countries from the WB). The paper attempts to quantify the effect that the public administration reform has on the two variables of economic development, namely the real GDP Growth Rate and Trade Per Capita, in the context of analysis and impact of six governance indicators created by the World Bank, within the WGI (The Worldwide Governance Indicator). In order to prove the hypotheses, we used the dynamic panel method. The results show that there is a significant positive impact of public administration reform in the WB on the GDP growth and trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Türük: International Language Literature & Folklore Researches Journal / Uluslararası Dil Edebiyat Halkbilimi Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Abant Izzet Baysal University, Faculty of Arts & Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since the beginning of the 2000s, extensive academic research has echoed one popular opinion, 'Turkey is back to the Balkans'. These studies have been scrutinizing the complicated role of Turkey in the Balkans, usually drawing upon the use of soft power by the former. This impact in the region remained intact during the 2010s, although the overall Turkish foreign policy in the 2010s has been highly securitized and de-Europeanized, losing its soft power character that had been its trademark starting from the early 2000s. In this regard, this paper aims to decipher different dimensions of Turkey's foreign policy in the Balkans through a more general exploration of the de-Europeanization of Turkish foreign policy in the 2010s. Through more than 80 semi-structured interviews, which were conducted between 2016–2020, with political actors, diplomats, religious leaders, scholars and journalists in Turkey and the Balkans, we address the question of whether the divergence of Turkish foreign policy from a soft power perspective and its concomitant de-Europeanization tendency had been crystallized in its policy towards the Balkans within the context of the 2010s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, through the use of the model of trade gravity, the aim is to analyze the trade between Turkey and the countries of the Western Balkans, looking beyond Turkey's foreign policy. In Turkish foreign policy, trade with the region and investment in the region is of particular importance. Even economic-trade relations are among the main elements of Turkish foreign policy. The dependent variable represents Turkey's exports and imports to the Western Balkan countries for the period 2009-2019, while the independent variables are the GDP of Turkey and the Western Balkan countries, the distance between the capitals of Turkey and these countries, the number of the population of Turkey and these countries, the common language and colonial ties. Thus, through the Panel data for ten years period, the trade between Turkey and the Western Balkans has been analyzed. Turkey should make greater efforts to increase trade volume with the countries of the Western Balkans so that its interest in these countries does not remain only rhetoric but is concretized with adequate political and economic actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In examining the Turkish response to the crisis of the 1930s, this paper contributes to existing literature at three levels: economic policy conception, comparative case selection, and mode of explanation. First, it takes a holistic approach to economic policy (neomercantilism) by looking at its foreign trade and finance (autarkic), microeconomic (etatist), and macroeconomic (neoclassical orthodox) dimensions. Second, it locates the Turkish response in the Balkan context, where other small states responded to comparable stimuli. Third, while viewing the macroeconomic conservatism of Turkish neomercantilism as a situational necessity, it explains the autarkic dimension by the shared German metropolitan linkages of the Balkans as a region, and the etatist dimension by the Kemalist bureaucracy’s larger room for maneuver in a context of wider gap between political modernization and economic backwardness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Adam Academy Journal of Social Sciences / Adam Akademi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Adam Academy Journal of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Modern Turkish History Studies / Cumhuriyet Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi (CTAD) is the property of Ataturk Institute for Modern Turkish History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Oriental Scientific Research / E-Sarkiyat Ilmi Arastirmalar Dergisi is the property of Journal of Oriental Scientific Research / e-Sarkiyat Ilmi Arastirmalar Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Policy makers often cite ‘human ties’ as a factor in Turkish–Balkan interstate relations, given the sizeable number of people in Turkey of Balkan origin, and perceived ethno-religious kin in the Balkans. The paper examines the period since 1989, and shows how such individuals and groups have increasingly become subjects in relations between Turkey and the rest of the Balkans. Yet, precisely as trans-state ties have increased in significance, the ‘state’ has also attempted to harness or infiltrate the ‘trans-state’ to further state interests. The paper seeks to show how non-state and state actors have interacted, resulting in an intensification and multiplication of trans-state ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper centers upon the visual language of the two popular Turkish youth magazines, which were designed, printed and circulated for pre-television society of the 1930's Turkey. New Man (Yeni Adam) and Seven Days (Yedi Gün) were two prominent Turkish magazines of their era, as each had different political views from the other, but interestingly both had art deco visuality in common, in terms of interpreting the Modernism. Although art deco or the modern style movement was identified with new mass production industries and consuming cultures of the 1920's post war European and American societies, the movement also influenced the press world of the non industrialized and agricultural countries, located in the periphery of Europe, such as the Balkan states and Turkey. This paper aims to clarify how art deco is embedded with visual information designs of the socialist and nationalist ideologies in 1930's Turkish magazine culture. As seen from the publication examples of the 1930's European and Soviet print regimes, visualizing the ideology through information design was also an effective method for Turkish publishers to be able to promote their political views. Among Turkish youth magazines in 1930's print culture, New Man was socialist realist and Seven Days was republican nationalist samples, which had rich visuality and strong editorial content in common. However each represented a different face of art deco with a different visualized ideology to liberate, to educate, to unify the masses or mainly to modernize the young society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the precipitation types and background physical mechanisms of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) over western Turkey during the period 2006–2015. The EPEs are described as the precipitation values above the 90th percentile obtained from the hourly precipitation dataset, which has high spatial resolution. Precipitation types associated with EPEs are identified by using radar outputs and the Lamb weather type (LWT) approach. It is found that EPEs occurred more frequently in the Marmara and Aegean regions during autumn and winter months. In Marmara, mainly 21 %, 17 %, and 15 % of total autumn EPEs show convective, cyclonic, and sea-effect precipitation characteristics, respectively. While convective EPEs are seen more commonly in the southern portions, cyclonic and sea-effect-originated EPEs mainly affect the southwest and northeastern parts of Marmara. Among these three precipitation types, convective mechanisms generally produce more intense daily precipitation (66.1 mm on average) in the Marmara Region under the proper synoptic conditions (high-pressure center over the Balkan Peninsula and low-pressure center over the eastern Mediterranean). Based on the hourly observations, convective types of extreme precipitation (EP) show two peak values during afternoon and evening times of the day and are linked to diurnal heating. In terms of the Aegean Region, cyclone-originated EP, which includes 65 % of the total winter EPEs, is more common in the whole territory and reaches its peak value during the early hours of the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Vistula Scientific Quarterly / Kwartalnik Naukowy Uczelni Vistula is the property of Vistula University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article is about the main framework and the rationale of the special issue, which deals with Turkey's increasing ethno-religious, pragmatic and complicated involvement and activism in the Balkans since 2002, under the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi – AKP). The main focus of the Issue is how the intersectionality between domestic and foreign policy has played an important role in Turkey's recent relations with the Balkan countries and how the Europeanization process influences this relationality. The overall claim is that religion, ethnicity and kin politics as indispensable components of identity politics, have the capacity to transform Turkey's foreign policy attitudes as well as the orientations of the Balkan countries and the impact of the processes of Europeanization and de-Europeanization on the relationship between Turkey and the Balkans needs to be included into the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the interdependency of various forms of violence and identity formation processes in late Ottoman Kosovo will be analysed. The paper will demonstrate that within different contexts of violence, identity and loyalty were constructed and increasingly exclusive forms of identities were fostered. These were, though, not national, but showed rather traditional patterns. Violence shaped everyday life regardless of religion, within the framework of customary law, vendetta, notions of honour and manhood, but also within the framework of everyday violence motivated by economic hardships. More important it strengthened feelings of otherness to a very high degree in religious categories. Here it is possible to distinguish several factors. Religious barriers between the different population groups were enforced by an increase in violence as a consequence of the Ottoman reform policy (tanzimat, late-Hamidian reforms). War related violence constituted the most significant impact on identity formation in Kosovo. Here not only wars that directly touched Kosovo (Russian-Ottoman War 1877-1878, First Balkan War 1912-1913), but also wars outside the region between the Ottoman Empire and Christian states, played an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the global simulation model (GSIM) for the analysis of global, regional, and unilateral trade policy changes by Francois and Hall (2003) was applied to the agricultural trade between the EU, the Balkans and Turkey. This was done in order to measure the effects of an EU accession of the Balkans and Turkey. Most of the changes in welfare after a full liberalisation of agricultural trade between the Balkans and Turkey on the one hand and the EU on the other hand can be expected in the accession countries themselves. It is estimated that incumbent EU members will be affected only to a minor extent. It was also estimated that the exchange rate risk is not very high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the proposals put forward by supporters of a privileged partnership as an alternative final destination for Turkey's integration with the European Union (EU). It outlines Turkey-EU relations with a focus on the final outcome of relations and analyses the content of, support for and attractiveness of the privileged partnership offer for Turkey. Supporting the maintenance of the prospect of membership without any alternatives and by toughening the conditions and strictly monitoring the progress of all would-be members, the paper argues that the introduction of privileged partnership as an alternative to accession dilutes the importance and influence of the accession process on the Europeanisation of Turkey and risks the success of an EU enlargement policy designed to promote stability and security beyond the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on whether the effects of sustainable challenges in terms of economic prosperity through GDP per capita and vulnerable employment have significant influence on the variation of net migration rate in five Western Balkan Countries and Turkey. Results from the panel PMG ARDL model showed that only the coefficient of vulnerable employment has statistically significant negative long-run effect on NMR variation. The short-run relationship indicates on significant individual effects over the NMR across all countries in the coming years. Also, research results confirm the causal link between the sustainable development variables and NMR variation for all these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial stability is a situation in which a financial system can absorb shock without significant disturbances in its current and future functioning and which has no negative impact on the economy. After 2007 global crisis, the Importance of bank stability better understood. This paper investigates the determinant of bank stability in selected Balkan countries and Turkey. For this aim, we used to Z-score and NPL as dependent variables. We used bank performance, financial structure and macro variables as independent variables. According to ANOVA test and regression analysis, the strongest correlation between non-performing loans as the dependent variable of the Western and some EU Member countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croa- tia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia) and Turkey was achieved with the following independent variables: the total non-interest income to total income and foreign bank assets to total bank assets. Observed on the other hand, the weakest link between NPLs as a dependent variable was achieved with the following independent variables: the gross domestic product, the net interest margin ratio, Lerner index and the cost to income. Another dependent variable, i.e. Z-score was recorded the strongest correla- tion with the following independent variables in the model: the gross domestic product, the Lerner index, the net interest margin and the cost to income. The weakest link was achieved with the following independent variables: the total non-interest income to total income and the foreign bank assets to total assets. The survey covers the period from 2006-2017 as yearly. Therefore, through a multiple regression analysis, non-per- forming loans and Z-Score to changes in endogenous variables will be tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses results of empirical research focused on the barriers to cooperation of Western Balkan countries and Turkey (WBC&T) in EU Framework Programmes (EU FP).1It reveals that WBC&T and member states of EU share a very similar pattern of barriers dominated by ‘Project managing weaknesses’ and ‘Bureaucratic barriers of the European Commission’. However, same barriers present much greater difficulties to researchers from WBC&T due to low intensity in international research cooperation, weak mobility and specific socio-political factors like political instability and scientific inferiority. The weak participation of WBC&T in FP is an obstacle not only to integration of WBC&T into the ERA but also slows down overall cohesion process that is nowadays dependent on human capital and innovation capacities supported by research. Therefore, the balance between social cohesion policy and scientific-merit research policy should be put in place. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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There has always been a plurality of trends within Islam, to which Sufism also belonged. Within the Ottoman Empire, mystical groups remained among the uncentralized forms of Islam until the end of the 19 th century and the creation of an association of the dervish orders, which, however, provided only a very partial structure for them. In 20 th -century Balkans, the Bektashis, one of the major Sufi orders present in the region, secured an official and institutionalized structure in Albania from the beginning of the 1920s. After the collapse of the Communist regimes in Albania and Yugoslavia, which had put strong obstacles against the free development of religion (especially in Albania where it was banned in 1967), a Bektashi organization was reestablished in Tirana. The paper discusses the main normative features of this organization, called Komuniteti Bektashian. Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane ('Bektashi Community. World Bektashi Grandfather'). Special reference is given to the changing power relations within the community caused by this novel structure (its members being often linked to other Albanian or foreign actors-Albanian politicians, Iranian Shi'i networks, Turkish Alevi networks, etc.). The article also examines the complex and disputed relationship of the Bektashi organization with the official Islamic religious institutions, its international, or rather pan-Albanian, dimension, and also its inner functioning which is not as centralized as it is supposed to be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi Dergisi is the property of Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our study focuses on the origin, dispersal patterns, evolutionary strategies and systematics of Poecilimon, the largest bush-cricket genus in the Palaearctic with over 150 taxa described. We employ phylogenetic and divergence time estimation analyses based on multilocus sequence data (ND2 + COI + 12 S + 16 S + ITS+28 S), perform ancestral area reconstruction, and track the evolution of behavioural (evolution of sound communication) and morpho-physiological traits (body size and shape, and spermatophore size) in this genus. Based on our results, we propose a revised systematics of Poecilimon, including description of a new species, P. nivalis sp. n., and hypothesize three stages in the evolution of Poecilimon. (1) In the early evolution of the genus in Tortonian, when open dry habitats appeared in the Eastern Mediterranean, diversification rates were low and speciation was possibly induced by vicariance and habitat fragmentation; physiology and morphology during this period retained their ancestral states but the evolution of main lineages may have been accompanied by behavioural specializations. (2) Climate cooling and aridification during the Messinian induced dispersals and adaptation to new habitats, followed by physiological and behavioural adaptations; major clades formed or started diversifying. (3) Starting at the end of Messinian and continuing through the Plio- and Pleistocene, a few dispersal events from Anatolia to the Balkans took place and climatic oscillations were followed by allo- and parapatric divergence of habitat specialists, while ecological adaptations enhanced song diversity and led to morpho-physiological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tripleurospermum rosellum is here reported as native to Bulgarian flora for the first time based on materials gathered in the East Rhodope Mts. The revision of herbarium materials revealed that the taxon has been collected from several different localities in the same region of the country over the past 80 years. A detailed presentation on its morphology, distribution and habitat characteristics in Bulgaria are presented. The Greek collections of Tripleurospermum oreades are to be referred to T. rosellum. The species is also confirmed for the mainland of European Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ornithology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There remains a continuous debate in the literature regarding the effect of the tourism industry on inequality. This study examines the tourism-induced Kuznets Curve Hypothesis for 34 countries in Europe, the Balkans, and Anatolia with a fourteen-year dataset using spatial panel data analysis. Results show the validity of this hypothesis. Therefore, one can conclude that the tourism industry contributes favourably to income equality only after some threshold. Moreover, findings indicate that increases in per capita income, urbanization ratio, and total labour force participation rate led to increased inequality. Therefore, to have desirable effects of the tourism industry on inclusive growth and sustainable development, investments should consider equality of income distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey exerts significant influence over Balkans Muslims. While some of this has to do with Turkey's military and economic power, much relates to their shared religiosity and common history. Some may characterize this as "soft power"; however, this term struggles to completely explain these dynamics. Many Balkans Muslims have an ambivalent attitude towards Turkey, even as they accept its influence. Moreover, Turkish influence comes not from passive qualities it possesses but active steps it takes to maintain its image. We argue that this can be better explained through the practice turn in international relations; Turkey follows commonly accepted religious practices that Balkans Muslims recognize, granting Turkey influence even if they do not internalize its dominant position. We demonstrate this with the results of interviews conducted among Balkans Muslim political, religious and media figures. The article provides insight into the strategies non-state religious actors, states and the media implement in world politics, while also expanding our understanding of soft power in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adam Academy Journal of Social Sciences / Adam Akademi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Adam Academy Journal of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the 2000 and 2010s, Turkey embarked on an activist policy in Southeast Europe reliant on personal diplomacy, economic outreach, and the projection of soft power. Coupled with the drift away from the West, such overtures have prompted observers to qualify Turkey as a revisionist power similar to Russia, China and other non-Western actors making inroads into the region. This article seeks to correct this view. It argues that Turkey is not an external player but very much part of the Balkans. Secondly, the article contends that Turkish foreign policy is not posing a frontal challenge to the EU and NATO, the two anchors of regional order. Rather, it benefits from its close relationship and membership in the two institutions. Though it has shifted from multilateralism to unilateralism, Ankara pursues a parallel, as opposed to an adversarial, strategy to that of the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central Asian & Caucasian Studies is the property of International Strategic Research Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: The paper presents the current state of Upper Paleolithic research in Turkey. The data related to this period in Turkey has been obtained both from Karain B (Antalya) and Üçağızlı (Hatay) caves in the Mediterranean region and along the Black Sea coast of the Marmara region. The Upper Paleolithic of Karain B, characterized by carinated endscrapers and Dufour bladelets, appears to be similar to the European Aurignacian. They also have elements in common with some industries of the Caucasus, Taurus and Zagros areas. On the other hand, the two phases of the Upper Paleolithic at Üçağızlı Cave suggest a strong relationship with the Levant. The lithic material obtained during surveys along the Black Sea coast of the Marmara region, also resembles the Bachokirian of the Balkans. Although limited to the Black Sea, Hatay and Antalya regions, our knowledge of the Upper Paleolithic of Turkey, for which the most recent levels have been dated to approximately 28,000 BP, is progressively increasing. However, to better understand the Upper Paleolithic of Turkey, it is indispensable to add to existing knowledge through new research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Abstract—Analysis of P- and S-receiver functions for 19 seismic stations on the Balkan Peninsula has been performed. Half of the stations are in Bulgaria. The crustal thickness varies from 28–30 to 50 km. The ratio of longitudinal and shear wave velocities in the upper crust reaches 2.0 in some places. In the southwest of the study area, the 410-km seismic boundary is uplifted by 10 km relative to nominal depth. The elevation may be caused by hydration and/or cooling of the mantle transition zone under the influence of the Hellenic subduction zone. A low S-wave velocity layer related to the 410-km boundary may be located atop this boundary. In the northwestern part of the study area this layer is present in spite of the absence of the 410-km boundary. A similar paradox has been previously noted in central Anatolia. Indications of a low-velocity layer are present at a depth exceeding 410 km. The simultaneous inversion of the receiver functions of the two types (P and S) and the Rayleigh wave phase velocities reveals a large (7–9%) decrease in the S-wave velocity in the upper mantle of southern Bulgaria and northern Greece. The thickness of the low-velocity layer (asthenosphere) is about 50 km. The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is at depths of 40 to 60 km. In terms of tectonics, this zone is characterized as the South Balkan extension system. To the north of 43° N, the S-wave velocity in the upper mantle is usually at least 4.4 km/s and the LAB is not detected or is detected at a depth of over 80 km. The SKS analysis of azimuthal anisotropy reveals lateral zoning in the upper mantle that is correlated to velocity zoning. Probably, the mechanically weak low-velocity mantle of the South Balkan system is easily deformed, and the azimuth of the fast direction of anisotropy (20°) indicates the direction of extension. At the northern stations, the fast direction (about –30°) may be a reflection of an older process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geological and geographical settings of the Eastern Mediterranean have resulted in complex patterns of intraspecific diversifications and phylogeographical histories that can be observed in squamates. In this study, we examined genetic differentiation of the Collared dwarf racer (Platyceps collaris) using a multilocus genetic dataset with a sampling that covered the entire range of the species. We developed distribution models in current and past climatic conditions to assess the dynamics of the species distribution through time. We sequenced a fragment of the cytochrome b mitochondrial gene of the holotype and eight paratypes of Coluber rubriceps thracius , which is considered a synonym of Platyceps collaris. Our results show that there are two distinct clades within P. collaris , one occupying the Balkans and western and southern Anatolia (termed the Balkan–Anatolian clade), the other in the Levant (termed the Levantine clade). All type specimens of C. r. thracius are genetically identical and cluster within the Balkan–Anatolian clade. Distribution models indicate the presence of two refugia during climatically challenging periods. One was in western Anatolia and served as a source for the colonization of the Balkans and southern Anatolia, and the other was in the northern Levant, from where P. collaris dispersed further south. According to our results, we revise the subspecific taxonomy of P. collaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Crimean War (1853–56), the Ottomans encountered with the problem of settling the Muslim immigrants and it was initially resolved by establishing new towns and villages on vast arable plains in the Balkans and Anatolia. However, it became a necessity to let the immigrants settle in the cities after the massive influx of refugees in 1877–78, when available agricultural lands to assign remained limited in the empire. With the consent of the Sultan, a new urban typology emerged at the outskirts of the cities, which were called immigrant (muhajir) neighbourhoods. This article aims to explore the spatial development of these settlements by the close examination of two cases based on archival materials. Mecidiye, which was established after the Crimean War, stands as an archetypal example and acted as an experimental laboratory. The success of Mecidiye case encouraged the Ottoman bureaucrats for further in post-1878 period. Hence, immigrant neighbourhood in Üsküb demonstrates us how the experience of Mecidiye was disseminated in the empire to establish a new planned settlement at the edges of an existing city. The close examination of Üsküb case provides us with the necessary tools to understand how the resettlement of refugees had cross-geographical spatial patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches / İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Copyright of History Studies (13094688) is the property of History Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Aegean archipelago is among the largest on Earth with astonishing biodiversity within Europe. Its territory underwent a massive geotectonic transformation in Neogene that resulted in multitude of changes in land-sea configuration and disintegrated the formerly united Aegean land to a complicated mainland-archipelago system. Therefore, it represents an excellent laboratory for studying evolution of terrestrial fauna. In the present study, we use a model group of flightless bush crickets with annual reproduction cycle—Poecilimon jonicus species group—to trace correlation of lineage diversification with the known paleogeographic events in the Aegean area. The group belongs to the hyperdiverse genus Poecilimon and has a disjunct distribution along the Hellenic arc from southwestern Anatolia through Crete to the western Balkans and the Apennines. To test our hypothesis, we inferred phylogenetic relationships of the P. jonicus group sensu lato using a nuclear fragment covering two spacers of the ribosomal cistron (ITS1 + ITS2). To study intra-group phylogeny, we compared mitochondrial phylogenies based on two matrices—(1) a concatenated ND2 and COI dataset of 1656 bp and (2) a 16S rRNA + 12S rRNA dataset of 1835 bp. As a second step, we estimated divergence times applying Bayesian approach with BEAST and a relative rate framework with RelTime on the mitochondrial matrices. We compare trees calibrated based on evolutionary rates and tectonic events and discuss radiation scenarios in concordance with known paleogeographic events in the Aegean area. Our results revealed robust phylogeny of the Poecilimon jonicus group and confirmed a strong link between its evolution and the Aegean paleogeography. The phylogenetic relationships of the group supported reconsideration of its systematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey is one of the most important walnut producers in the world. Turkey is 4th in the world's walnut production in 2018. In this study, Turkey and the Balkan countries' which have a significant share in the world production of walnut, production, foreign trade, and competitiveness have been studied. The data set for the years 2005-2018 was used in the research. The data of this study was provided from International Trade Centre (ITC) database. Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA) and Trade Balance Index (TBI) indices were used in this study. Although the walnut production of Turkey was more than the total production of Balkan countries, it was determined that Turkey has not foreign trade competitive advantage. It shows that the most competitive country is Moldavia according to the RCA and TBI scores. These findings demonstrated that Turkey is importer country in with walnut trade. In a conclusion, it can be clearly said that Balkan countries except for Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania are net importers of shelled walnuts in foreign trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new global order has yet to be fully established. The process reflects not only a geopolitical struggle but also a set of competitive political models. While it is possible to determine more than two dominant models, it is a contest between the two forms of democracy - liberal and illiberal. A one-party state, or a Chinese model, is an economic model used for geopolitical purposes while Muslim political model, strongly contested within the Muslim world, is restricted to areas dominated by the population of this faith. Some of its forms are reflected in the form of authoritarianism as developed in Turkey. The faith, therefore, is of lesser significance. The regimes in the Western Balkans have been developed and are based on two models of democracy. The resulting hybrid regimes are analysed in the global context of the powerstruggle and ideological contest. The question is whether the hybrid regimes of the Western Balkans are the result of dysfunctional local democracy or whether the search for global stability is resulting in a model of competitive authoritarianism which provides for global security but also supports the regime's desire to remain unchanged in perpetuity? This development might be supportive of international security but is an utterly destabilising factor for societies in the Western Balkans and a substantial obstacle to the development of liberal democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a strong tendency in Turkish historiography to approach Kemalist policies as purely domestic affairs that emanate from the centre in a top-down manner, reflecting the clear ideological positions of Ankara. The existing scholarship on the Settlement Law (1934), too, has read the development of Kemalist demographic policies in ideological terms, framing them in top-down modernist trajectories that were long in the making since the late Ottoman times. These perspectives often remained analytically singular and nation-centred, failing to engage with the broader transnational developments that were in fact crucial to the making and timing of a range of Kemalist policies. As such, the processes of demographic engineering are framed as devoid of historical conjuncture and immune from unintended consequences or the constraints presented by state capacity. In this article, I seek to overcome such limitations by situating the Settlement Law within its due transnational context of heightened interstate rivalries since the 1930s. Unfolding in myriad ways across the borderlands of Eastern Europe, the complex dynamics of interstate competition created the necessary push and pull factors that started dislodging the Balkan Muslims from those areas coveted by various territorially revisionist states in the region. The demographic engineering their arrival triggered in Turkey, I argue, was therefore as much national as international. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]