ORSAM-MESC Joint Workshop in Amman

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ORSAM and Amman based MESC (Middle East Studies Center) organized a joint workshop in Amman, Jordan on February 15, 2016. The workshop was moderated by Dr. Mohammad Abu-Hammour, Secretary General of Arab Thought Forum, and attended by some political analysts, journalists, and researchers.
 
The workshop was consisted of three sessions. In the first session titled “the main parameters of the regional transformation and Turkish foreign policy” President of ORSAM, Dr. Şaban Kardaş and Director of MESC, Mr. Jawad al-Hammadaddressed the audience. Dr. Kardaş presented his assessment on the transformation of the region after the Arab Spring and stated that lack of regional security framework leads to the deepening of regional conflicts. Mr. Al-Hammad highlighted major conflicts in the region and suggested that Arab and Muslim countries should initiate a forum including regional powers in the Middle East Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to discuss and solve regional conflicts. In the second session, which was devoted to ‘the role of Iran in the Middle East’, Dr. BayramSinkaya, ORSAM advisor, talked on Turkish-Iranian relations and stated that despite the good and stable relations between the two countries on the bilateral level, Turkey has been uncomfortablewith Iran’s regional policies. In this session, Dr. Qased Mahmoud recited how Iran become an influential regional power in the last decade, and argued that Iran has already reached to the borders of its capacity as a regional power and could notfurther its influence in the region. In the last session, ‘the Syrian crisis and its repercussions’ were addressed. Mr. OytunOrhan, ORSAM expert stated Turkish perspectives towards the Syrian crisis and talked on the effects of the crisis on Turkey. Finally, Dr. NevenBondokji addressed the audience and stated that regional countries including Jordan should take further measures to address the issues related to the refugees, to prevent radicalization and the rise of sectarianism.