FOUNDATION TO THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE COALITION BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARAB LEAGUE INERADICATING THE ISIS INFLUENCES

By:Bacharuddin W. A. M.

Student Number:14/368332/SP/26430

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCESINTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

UNIVERSITAS GADJAH MADA

YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA2015

Introduction:

Begin with an Islamic jihadist group called Jama’at

al-Tawhid Wa al-Jihad (The Organization of Monotheism and

Jihad) by a Jordanian national named Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

in 1999,1 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has

expanded its controlling area from Iraq and Syria, to

small part of Libya and Lebanon. In Nigeria, since early

2015 the local extremist group named Boko Haram has

pledged their loyalty and willingness to cooperate with

the ISIS,2 which make Boko Haram today has a new alliance

and created another concern in the world affairs to the

global terrorism.

Arab League, as the form of regionalism in the Middle

East plays an important role in establishing cooperation

among states in order to create security and stability

which, in this context from the influence of ISIS as a

global threat. The issue of terrorism is not a new source

of regional crisis faced by countries in the Arab League.

Al-Qaeda for example, is a source of conflict and1 A. Zelin, The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement (online), June 2014, <http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf>, accessed on June 9 2015.2 Fox News, Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to ISIS (online), March 08 2015, < http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/08/boko-haram-swears-formal-allegiance-to-isis/>, accessed on June 9 2015.

terrorism faced by many countries in the Middle East

where its attacks for the past two decades has made the

government of states incorporated in the Arab League take

several preventive actions of handling the terrorist

issues.

Turkey nowadays comes as a new emerging power in the

region, and among developing countries. It is the member

of G20 and maintains a good reputation in the world

affairs. Turkey also is the only member of North Atlantic

Treaty Organization that comes from the Muslim majority

country that, although secular, the theory of normative

action can become a source of cooperation in the same

purpose with the Arab League’s countries.

Does it possible to have cooperation between Arab

League’s countries with Turkey in eradicating the ISIS

influence? This paper would elaborate on the possible

cooperation between both institutions that may vary from

politic, security, to economic aspects.

The Discussion:

The world security suddenly received a new source of

conflict in international affairs. As it has been

mentioned on the introduction section, the rise of ISIS

has added a new actor in international level as a

terrorist group. In order to achieve its goal in

establishing an Islamic Caliph from the Middle East to

Europe and South East Asia, the group implements the

expansionist tactics by recruiting fighters to spreading

its ideas and ideology. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the Caliph

or “prince of the faithful” of the Islamic State since

2006 formulated the principle of monotheism and the

tradition, which, according to the ISIS, its loyalty and

disavowal has been forgotten.3 This doctrine is highly

spread on its controlled area and created a generation of

young men trained based on the forgotten doctrine of

loyalty and disavowal.4 Moreover, not just on its

controlled territory, but in the global scope their idea

has been spread as an Islamic Jihadist group who fought

for Islamic teaching and the martyr would be rewarded

sumptuous afterlife. The authorities of Chicago O’Hare

International Airport arrested Mohammed Hamzah Khan, who

was allegedly on his way to join ISIS right before he

board a plane to Turkey.5

Both attempts, from recruiting fighters to spreading

ideas and ideology are connecting to each other where the

result of spreading ideas and ideology will be followed

by the appearance of new fighters that interested in

joining the group. Turkey, as the country that has global

airline connectivity and bordered directly with Syria,

where Ar-Raqqah as ISIS de facto capital located, often

3 Huffington Post, Middle East Time Bomb: The Real Aim of ISIS is to Replace the Saud Family as the New Emirs of Arabia (online), November2 2014, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-aim-saudi-arabia_b_5748744.html>, accessed on June 12 2015.4 Ibid.5 CNN, Why is ISIS so successful at luring Westerners? (online), <http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/07/world/isis-western-draw/>, accessed on June 12 2015.

used as the transit point for ISIS foreign fighters

worldwide before heading to Syria. Based on this, Turkey

might play a very important role if there is a coalition

of countries or institutions in order to eradicate the

ISIS influence. Turkey, a new emerging power from

developing country, is a member of NATO, the member of G-

20, and has almost 650,000 men and women under arms. It

has taken in more than a million Syrian refugees, and it

is less than 100 miles from the largest city of ISIS,

Mosul, where 49 Turkish citizens, including several

diplomats, have been held hostage.6

John G. Ruggie observes that international

organizations are a necessary catalyst to develop global

policy for the problems of overpopulation, pollution,

weapon proliferation, trade problems, and other global

concerns.7 Based on this, it is expected that the Arab

League would play an active role to this issue as an

international regional organization that covers parts of

the conflicted area and has experience in terrorism

issue. Founded in March 1945, the League of Arab States

(or Arab League) is a loose confederation of twenty-two

Arab nations, including Palestine, whose broad mission is

to improve coordination among its members on matters of6 The Daily Beast, Is NATO Ally Turkey Tacitly Fueling the ISIS War Machine? (online), August 9 1014, <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/08/is-nato-ally-turkey-tacitly-fueling-the-isis-war-machine.html>, accessed on June 12 2015.7 C. Henderson, International Relations Conflict And Cooperation At The Turn Of The 21st Century, McGraw-Hill, Singapore, p. 420.

common interest.8 According to its charter, the founding

members of the Arab League (Egypt, Syria, Transjordan,

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Yemen) agreed to seek

"close cooperation" on matters of economics,

communication, culture, nationality, social welfare, and

health.9 Cooperation, as the basic principle and

foundation of this organisation emphasized on the charter

reflects the coalition of countries incorporated as the

key to solve any issues. The ISIS issue however, is not

limited only to the issue of country as hegemonic power

like Iraq, Syria, Libya and partially Lebanon work by

themselves on this issue where recently some of their

territory is under ISIS control. State is not a

fundamental unit, as in this case the assistance of

broader institution is needed in order to face the recent

threat.

In the Liberalis view, cooperation is the main

concept of international system, since liberal sees state

is not just a single entity but also the institutions on

it. It is, according to Francis Fukuyama’s articla named

‘The End of History’ celebrated the triumph of liberalism

over all ideologies, contending that liberal state were

more stable international relations.10 Frankly to say,

8 Council on Foreign Relations, The Arab League (online), <http://www.cfr.org/middle-east-and-north-africa/arab-league/p25967>, accessed on June 13 2015.9 Ibid.10 J. Baylis, S. Smith, & P. Owens, The Globalization Of World Politics, Oxford University Press, New York, 2011, p. 105.

most of the states incorporated in Arab League are still

far from being a liberalist state, which implement full

liberal ideologies where power as a single entity is not

exist. As it can be seen during the Arab Spring, one of

the factors of the uprising is because of the

dissatisfaction to the leaders that has occupied the seat

as the state leader for decades, like Hosni Mubarak of

Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. However, in order to

keep the security and stability in the region from the

continuation of ISIS influence, several aspects of

cooperation, not just countries incorporated in the Arab

League but Turkey as well should be considered as a vital

power to be involved in the cooperation.

By stating cooperation in this paper, it makes a very

wide interpretation of what kind of coopertion should be

conducted. Hence, in order to eradicate the ISIS

influence cooperation in security issue might become the

main concern of all actors involved. However, economic

cooperation among the actors involved should not be

despised, since economic integration nowadays highly

considered as a strong determining points of today’s

regionalism. ISIS funds its activities from areas under

its control through taxation, illicit economies such as

oil smuggling and extortion, and external support, mainly

from individuals in Gulf states.11 Some estimates project11 Center for American Progress, Defeating ISIS: An Integrated Strategy to Advance Middle East Stability (online), September 10 2015, <https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2014/09/10/96739/defeating-isis-an-integrated-strategy-

ISIS will raise between $100 million and $200 million

over the next year. Cooperation should be conducted by

countries in the region tracking the economic alliances

of ISIS and commit a strong sanctions to them if they are

operating in under the countries that are part of the

Arab League. In addition to that, the Arab League should

allocate special fund to eradicate the ISIS base in the

region. Turkey, as the vital non-members of the Arab

League have a strong responsibility as the member of

NATO, remembering that the aim of ISIS is also to expand

their influence into European soil. NATO, formulated

during the Cold War, with the goal as mutual defence to

all its members if there is any attack by external party,

indirectly involved in eradicating any ISIS influence as

Turkey might become the new bridge for ISIS fighters if

that country fall into the ISIS hand.

Political decision made by the authorities in the

Arab League level and state as individual government is

the core of any act that have possibilities to be

conducted in order to smoothen the strategy. States in

the region should syncronize their policies and

decisions toward the ISIS issue in order to gain maxumum

benefits from the cooperation. It was reported on

September 2014 that Arab League foreign ministers agreed

to take all necessary measures to confront Islamic State

of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants and cooperate with all

international, regional and national efforts to combat

to-advance-middle-east-stability/>, accessed on June 13 2015.

militant groups.12 ‘The Arab foreign ministers have agreed

to take the necessary measures to confront terrorist

groups including ISIS’, said Arab League chief Nabil al-

Arabi at a news conference.13 To be added, it is important

to realize this by involving all actors in the state that

incorporated into this cooperation. For example, the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt have the obligation

to coordinate the recent development with the Arab League

to the Egyptian Ministry of Defense because Egypt and

Arab League is not one, but all the elements and actors

on it is what makes Egypt and Arab League functioned.

However, the implementation of this strategy might

find some difficulties since the government of each state

might have their own strategy and agenda that, perhaps

have possibilities to clash with strategy and agenda

formulated by the government of other states. The

diplomatic spat that emerged between Egypt and Qatar

following an Arab League meeting is the example of the

political incoherence among Arab states confronted by the

common threat of the Islamic State. While Arab

governments have been united in condemning the extremist

group, they differ on strategy, and their competing

interests impede forming a unified front even in forums

such as the Arab League, which appears increasingly

12 Al Arabiya News, Arabs vow all needed measures against ISIS (online), September 7 2014, <http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/07/Arab-League-moves-against-ISIS.html>, accessed on June 13 2015.13 Ibid.

irrelevant in the regional crisis.14 Based on this report,

we could not deny that even though in the regional stage

the Arab League might have the same commitment to

eradicate ISIS, but the individual interests, ideas, and

strategies as a sovereign state might differ as in

domestic level, each state has their own aim as a state

as well as conducting foreign policy related with any

decision.

Security matter is the main target of creating

alliances. It is reported that the ISIS, since its first

proclaim in the Levant on 8 April 2013 has violated the

civil and basic rights of people in the controlled

territory, and mainly to the minorities such as Assyrian,

Christian, Yazidis, and Turkmen. According to the report

by United Nations, thousands of minority women and girls

have been raped and forced into marriage, and the

minority groups represent a disproportionate number of

the more than 2 million people who have been displaced

since January 2014, the report found. About 8,000

civilians were killed in the last six months of 2014 as

well.15 This practice keep on continuing to the day this

14 International Business Times, Arab States Against ISIS: Divisions Between Egypt, Qatar, Syria Impede Islamic State Fight, Undermine Arab League (online), February 20 2015, <http://www.ibtimes.com/arab-states-against-isis-divisions-between-egypt-qatar-syria-impede-islamic-state-1823216>, accessed on June 13 2015.15 TIME, ISIS May Have Committed Genocide Against Iraq Minorities, ReportSays (online), February 27 2015, < http://time.com/3726484/isis-isil-iraq-minorities-genocide/>, accessed on June 13 2015.

paper is written, as many minority community continue to

live under the treat of mass killing in Iraq. Apparently,

ISIS is not only targeting the minority in the controlled

area but Sunni Muslim, which has the same religious view

as ISIS ideology even become the target if they are not

cooperative with ISIS point of views. In october 2014

ISIS militants lined up 30 Sunni local tribe men in a

town west of Baghdad and shot them dead, as they had

cooperated with Iraqi government and were helping to

organise anti-ISIS operations in the embattled town.16

‘In the case of security, the discussion is about the

pursuit of freedom from threat. When this discussion is

in the context of the international system, security is

about the ability of states and societies to maintain

their independent identity and their functional

integrity’ (Barry Buzan).17In ensuring the world security,

we need cooperation among states to keep and protect the

stability not only for the state as a single entity, but

for the institution incorporated and the people living on

it. The group of countries under the Arab League should

implement the collective security, where in eradicating

ISIS state does not stand as a single entity, but under

16 The Daily Mail, ISIS commit another massacre: 30 Sunni men are paraded through Iraqi town before being brutally shot dead (online), October 30 2014, < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2812795/Shocking-images-latest-ISIS-brutality-30-Sunni-men-paraded-Iraqi-town-brutally-shot-dead.html>, accessed on June 13 2015.17 J. Baylis, S. Smith, & P. Owens, The Globalization Of World Politics, Oxford University Press, New York, 2011, p. 233.

one mandate in order to reach maximum level of security

to face the threat. To the next level, when cooperation

among states have been achieved under the same

international organisation, the Arab League should

consider Turkey as one of the most influential parner in

the region to strengthen the security. There should be a

join mutual cooperation between Arab League and Turkey,

as both countries are facing the same threat. Turkey

should tighten its border and immigration policy since

they have become the transiting point for ISIS fighters

worldwide from entering Syria. Arab League should ensure

Turkey that the cooperation among its member will benefit

for Turkey’s security since ISIS will be defeated and

there will be no longer a ‘bridge to Europe’ exist.

Conclusion:

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or known as ISIS is

not a new phenomena on international affairs system. The

world has dealing with terrorism and any other anarchic

issues. The issue that is elaborated through this paper

is how to deal with that, and it comes to the conclusion

that cooperation among states is the way that can be

implemented. In the region, the Arab League has been

formed and plays a vital role in uniting the Arab leaders

under one forum. However, it is undeniable that it is not

an easy job to create the same stance among the leader of

Arab states. In fact, the tense between Egypt and Qatar

is a prove that different stance is a weak point in

creating cooperation in Arab League.

Turkey is an influental country bordered directly

with Syria, where the administrative center of ISIS, Ar-

Raqqah is located. As a transiting point for ISIS

fighters worldwide, Turkey does not have much reason to

not involve the Arab League as its partner to eradicate

the ISIS from keep on expanding. Cooperation is not only

limited to security, where it is the main aspect of this

issue. Political decision made by actors inside the

government as well as economic issues should not be

despise, as both factors might determine the continuation

of specific cooperation.

Bibliography:

Baylis, J., Smith, S., & Owens, P., The Globalization Of World Politics, Oxford University Press, New York, 2011, p. 105.

Henderson, C., International Relations Conflict And Cooperation At The Turn Of The 21st Century, McGraw-Hill, Singapore, p. 420.

Al Arabiya News, Arabs vow all needed measures against ISIS (online), September 7 2014, <http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/07/Arab-League-moves-against-ISIS.html>, accessed on June 13 2015.

A. Zelin, The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of theGlobal Jihadist Movement (online), June 2014, <http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf>, accessed on June 9 2015.

Center for American Progress, Defeating ISIS: An Integrated Strategy to Advance Middle East Stability (online), September 10 2015, <https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2014/09/10/96739/defeating-isis-an-integrated-strategy-to-advance-middle-east-stability/>, accessed on June 13 2015.

CNN, Why is ISIS so successful at luring Westerners? (online), <http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/07/world/isis-western-draw/>, accessed on June 12 2015.

Council on Foreign Relations, The Arab League (online),<http://www.cfr.org/middle-east-and-north-africa/arab-league/p25967>, accessed on June 13 2015

Fox News, Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to ISIS (online), March 08 2015, <http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/08/boko-haram-swears-formal-allegiance-to-isis/>, accessed on June9 2015.

Huffington Post, Middle East Time Bomb: The Real Aim of ISIS is to Replace the Saud Family as the New Emirs of Arabia (online), November 2 2014, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-aim-saudi-arabia_b_5748744.html>, accessed on June 12 2015

International Business Times, Arab States Against ISIS: Divisions Between Egypt, Qatar, Syria Impede Islamic State Fight, Undermine Arab League (online), February 20 2015, <http://www.ibtimes.com/arab-states-against-isis-

divisions-between-egypt-qatar-syria-impede-islamic-state-1823216>, accessed on June 13 2015.

The Daily Beast, Is NATO Ally Turkey Tacitly Fueling the ISIS War Machine? (online), August 9 1014, <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/08/is-nato-ally-turkey-tacitly-fueling-the-isis-war-machine.html>, accessed on June 12 2015.

The Daily Mail, ISIS commit another massacre: 30 Sunni men areparaded through Iraqi town before being brutally shot dead (online), October 30 2014, < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2812795/Shocking-images-latest-ISIS-brutality-30-Sunni-men-paraded-Iraqi-town-brutally-shot-dead.html>, accessed on June 13 2015.

TIME, ISIS May Have Committed Genocide Against Iraq Minorities, Report Says (online), February 27 2015, < http://time.com/3726484/isis-isil-iraq-minorities-genocide/>, accessed on June 13 2015.