This thesis seeks to examine the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey in terms of the role that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict plays in this relationship. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which is one of the long-lasting ethno-territorial conflicts in the region, continues to be the major issue-area for Azerbaijan&rsquo / s foreign policy. In this respect, Azerbaijan&rsquo / s relations with Turkey, as well as NATO, the United States and Russia could be understood better through an academic study of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Contrary to the views of some scholars who claim that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has become relatively less important vis-&agrave / -vis the economic and energy issues in the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, this thesis argues that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict still maintains its centrality in the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. The thesis has five chapters, including introduction and conclusion chapters: Chapter Two explores the evolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict during the Elchibey period, while the Chapter Three and Chapter Four discuss the impact of this conflict on Azerbaijan&rsquo / s relations with Turkey under Heidar and Ilham Aliyev periods respectively.

This thesis analyzes the Western missile defense initiatives and their role in Russia&#039 / s relations with NATO and the U.S. The main question of this thesis is whether the Western missile defense initiatives have paved the way for a new era of cooperation between Russia and the West or not. The main argument of this thesis is that Russia has failed to collaborate with NATO in a meaningful manner on missile defense issue as Russia has not adjusted its security policies and nuclear strategy, which are still based on the Cold War thinking, to the changing conditions of global security in the post Cold War era. The missile defense initiatives have a negative impact on the relations between Russia and the West due to the intransigent stance of Russia on this issue. A robust cooperation can only be achieved between Russia and NATO if Moscow changes its Cold War mentality about global security issues.

The purpose of this study is to analyze and discuss Russia&rsquo / s Asia-Pacific policy after the end of the Cold War by focusing on Moscow&rsquo / s bilateral relations with the major regional countries and its overall multilateral approach and policies towards the Asia-Pacific region. Contrary to the views of scholars who claim that Russia has already emerged as a major power in the Asia-Pacific, the thesis argues that Russia&rsquo / s strategy of becoming a great power in the Asia-Pacific Region has significant limitations stemming from its competitive and assertive policies that ignore the role of multilateralism and international cooperation. Although Russia has been actively engaged in the region at the bilateral level and through its participation in the regional organizations in the post-Cold war era, this region has its own particular dynamics which necessitate a greater level of regional economic integration and a liberal approach to multilateralism rather than a realist &ldquo / power politics&rdquo / approach. Russia&rsquo / s policy of aligning itself with China militarily in the region has counterproductive consequences as it intensifies geopolitical competition in the region, and marginalizes Moscow further. The thesis is composed of six chapters. After the introduction, the second chapter examines origins of Russia&rsquo / s presence in the Asia-Pacific Region. The following chapter discusses the sources of Russia&rsquo / s increasing interest in the Region. The fourth chapter is concerned with Russia&rsquo / s relations with main actors of the Asia-Pacific Region while the fifth chapter focuses on Russia&rsquo / s involvement in theregional organizations. The last chapter is the conclusion.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the changing characteristics of the regional security complex in Central Asia. The thesis focuses on the changes in the roles that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) plays in promoting regional security in Central Asia, especially since the formation of the international coalition against international terrorism in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. Contrary to the mainstream literature that focuses mainly on the security concerns of either regional powers or of great powers that considered this region as their own sphere of influence, this thesis argues that Central Asia&rsquo / s security issues that emerged in the aftermath of 9/11 could be explained better by taking the emerging regional security complex in Central Asia as the main unit of analysis. The thesis consists of seven chapters: In Chapter 1, thesis is introduced. Chapter 2 develops a conceptual framework for the thesis by examining the nature of regional security complex theory. This is followed by the examination of the characteristics of regional security complex in Central Asia in Chapter 3. Next, Chapter 4 discusses the foreign policies of the United States, Russia and China towards Central Asia. Chapters 5 and 6 examine the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, its role in the struggle against international terrorism and their reflections on the changes of the characteristics of Central Asian regional security complex. Last chapter concludes the thesis.

The objective of this thesis is to examine the history of Oriental studies in Russia from the beginning of the first Russian interaction with Oriental societies to the end of the 19th century. In particular, the thesis attempts to explain under what conditions Russia had started conducting research on the language, history, geography and culture of the East and how Russian Oriental studies evolved from the practical aims to the academic goals. The central hypothesis of this thesis is that there is a close relationship between Russian Oriental studies and Russia&rsquo / s expansion to the East. Therefore, this thesis is an attempt to understand effects of Russian diplomatic, religious, military and of course academic goals on the Oriental studies.