Middle East Expert Explores the Role of Turkey in the Rise of ISIS

April 15, 2015

Paul Magnarella, an author and expert on the Middle East, will present “ISIS, Turkey and the Changing Middle East” as part of the 2015 Zia H. Hashmi Lecture series on Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. in the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center, room 1915. Magnarella says the rise of the terrorist organization, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), is inextricably connected with the role of Turkey, which he says is the region’s strongest state. Turkey’s policy of “no problems with neighbors” has proved inefficient in a neighborhood full of problems. The state’s changing position in both foreign and domestic policy is shaping and being shaped by the rise of ISIS in the region. Jacek Lubecki, Ph.D., director of the Center for International Studies, says Magnarella’s insight will get past the talking points of the problem to give a much broader perspective. “Professor Magnarella will bring to bear a subtle and insightful perspective on the issues at stake, and therefore redefine the discourse and dialogue on the modern Middle East beyond stereotypical and simplistic perspectives,” he said. “The attendees will learn a whole lot about most recent political developments in Turkey, their broader context and how the rise of ISIS is reflected in and shaped by Turkey's changing role in the region." Magnarella is a nationally-recognized authority on Turkey and human rights in the Middle East. He has served as an expert on mission with the United Nations Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (The Hague), president of the Association of Third World Studies and director of peace and justice studies at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. He is the author of several books, including The Middle East and North Africa: Governance, Democratization and Human Rights, and Human Rights in Our Time. The event is free and open to the public. The Zia H. Hashmi Lectures in International Studies series was developed by friends and former students of Dr. Zia Hashmi, in recognition of the contributions made by Hashmi as founder and the first director of the Georgia Southern University Center for International Studies. On alternate years, the series brings to campus a noted speaker on international issues.