Gokhan Bacik persuasively shows that the sovereign state in the Middle East can best be understood with a model of hybrid sovereignty , comprising the impact of the colonial past and traditional formations. While doing this he also leads the reader to question the conventional Westphalian formulation of sovereignty as a feature of state-to-state relations and instead brings an insight in terms of state-to-society relations. A fascinating attempt to look at the history of state formation in the Middle East through new eyes and from new angles. - Ahmet Nuri Yurdusev, Middle East Technical University, author of International Relations and the Philosophy of History and Ottoman Diplomacy: Conventional or Unconventional?
Bacik's clear, detailed, and convincing analysis provides crucial insights into the power and sovereignty of the state in Arab countries. This book deserves your attention.
- Fuat Keyman, Koc University, author of Globalization, State, Identity/Difference