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Oman’s Foreign Policy and Its Mediating and Balancing Role in the Middle East

Year 2022, , 179 - 190, 29.03.2022
https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.1055119

Abstract

Oman, with its geographical location and ancient tradition, is a country that has succeeded in being a balancing factor, despite its distance from the central tensions of the Middle East and its ineffective appearance in regional politics. Especially during the 50-year reign of Sultan Qaboos that began in 1970, Oman was able to establish strategic relations with regional and global actors and adopted an exceptional foreign policy understanding in the Middle East during the Cold War period. After the death of Sultan Qaboos, Haitham bin Tariq took over the rule of the country as the new sultan of Oman. Under the new Sultan’s power, a pragmatic status quo approach has become the main pillar in the country’s foreign relations, as the traditional foreign policy understanding has been built on independence and moderation at a level that matches Oman’s will and capacity.
This study presents a perspective on Oman’s foreign policy approach of Haitham bin Tariq, the Sultan of Oman, based on the analysis of traditional foreign policy framework and practices developed during the reign of Sultan Qaboos who was the architect of the country’s international relations. In this regard, this article examines in chronological order the continuities and ruptures of Omani foreign policy, which has been able to pursue effective policies, despite its low profile in the Middle East, by especially the mission it has assumed in the Gulf since Sultan Qaboos assumed power in 1970. The article also discusses the successful policies of Sultan Qaboos to remain moderate under all conditions and preserve the status quo in the Gulf. The study discusses in detail the exceptional case of Oman in the region using process tracing.

References

  • After Netanyahu and Abbas visits, Oman offers help in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. (2018, October 27). France 24. https://www.france24.com/en/20181027-oman-netanyahu-abbas-visits-offers-help-israeli-palestinian-peace-efforts-conflict-bahrain
  • Albasoos, H., & Maashani, M. (2020). Oman’s Diplomacy Strategy: Maneuvering Tools to Face Regional Challenges. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 9(2), 152–163. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v9i2.627
  • Allen, C. H., & Rigsbee II, W. L. (2013). Oman Under Qaboos: From Coup to Constitution, 1970-1996 (1st edition). Routledge.
  • Barrett, R. (2015, June 17). Oman’s Balancing Act in the Yemen Conflict. Middle East Institute. https://www.mei.edu/publications/omans-balancing-act-yemen-conflict
  • Colombo, S. (2017). Foreign Policy Activism in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Diverging Narratives and Stances towards the Syrian and Yemeni Conflicts. The International Spectator, 52(2), 54–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2017.1303965
  • Gozanky, Y., & Halevy, E. (2020). Oman: The End of the Qaboos Era. Institute for National Security Studies. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep23510
  • Hakeza Kane Red Abbas ala A’rd es-Sultan Qabus li’l Vasata mea İsrail. (2018, October 28). https://amp.dw.com/ar/صحيفة-هكذا-كان-رد-عباس-على-عرض-السلطان-قابوس-للوساطة-مع-إسرائيل/a-46063673
  • Hilal Ziyaret es-Sultan Haitham li’l Memleke: İnşaa Meclis li’t Tensik Es-Saudi el-Ummani fi Kaafet’il Mecalat. (2021, July 11). https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2021/7/11/خلال-زيارة-السلطان-هيثم-للمملكة-إنشاء
  • Hitab Celaletü’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq el-Mua’zzam. (2020, January 11). https://omaninfo.om/images/library/file/Book889578.pdf
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu makes rare visit to Oman. (2018, October 26). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-oman-idUSKCN1N01WN
  • Lefebvre, J. A. (2010). Oman’s Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First Century. Middle East Policy, 17(1), 99–115.
  • Mason, R. (2014). The Omani Pursuit of a Large Peninsula Shield Force: A Case Study of a Small State’s Search for Security. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 41(4), 355–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/13530194.2014.918801
  • Netenyahu Yezur Sultana Umman fi Evvel Ziyare li Beled Arabi La Tarbutuhu A’lakat mea’ İsrail. (2018, October 26). فرانس 24 / France 24. https://amp.france24.com/ar/20181026-بنيامين-نتانياهو-زيارة-سلطنة-عمان-قابوس-بن-سعيد-إسرائيل-الدول-العربية
  • Oman hopes ceasefire in Yemen is agreed ’very soon’—ONA. (2021, March 30). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-oman-int-idUSKBN2BM1F7
  • Oman Vision 2040. (n.d.). Portal. Retrieved 16 November 2021, from https://omanuna.oman.om/en/home-top-level/eparticipation/oman-vision-2040
  • O’Reilly, M. J. (1998). Omanibalancing: Oman Confronts an Uncertain Future. Middle East Journal, 52(1), 70–84. Owen, R. P. (1973). The Rebellion in Dhofar—A Threat to Western Interests in the Gulf. The World Today, 29(6), 266–272.
  • Qatar appoints first ambassador to Saudi Arabia since rift | GCC News | Al Jazeera. (2021, August 11). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/11/qatar-appoints-first-ambassador-to-saudi-arabia-since-rift
  • Rabi, U. (2005). Oman and the Arab–Israeli Conflict: The Reflection of a Pragmatic Foreign Policy. Israel Affairs, 11(3), 535–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/13537120500122644
  • Reuters. (2021, June 21). Qatar Receives New Saudi Ambassador as the Two Mend Relations. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-receives-new-saudi-ambassador-two-mend-ties-2021-06-21/
  • Saudi-led coalition denies attacking home of Oman envoy to Yemen. (2015, September 20). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-oman-idUSKCN0RK0CE20150920
  • Shamshiri-Fard, M. (2020, January 16). Why Oman Loves Iran. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/16/sultan-qaboos-oman-loves-iran-shah/
  • Sherwood, L. (2017, Autumn). Understanding Oman’s Foreign Policy. Foreign Policy Trends in the GCC States, 11–15. Sultan Umman Yu’id Teşkil Meclisi’l Vüzera ve Yua’yyin Bedir el-Busai’ydi Veziran li’l Hariciyye. (2020, August 18). https://www.aljazeera.net/news/politics/2020/8/18/اا-108
  • Winder, B. (2020, August 26). Oman’s Regional Role in a time of Challenge and Change. Middle East Institute. https://www.mei.edu/publications/omans-regional-role-time-challenge-and-change
  • Worrall, J. (2012). Oman: The“Forgotten” Corner of the Arab Spring. Middle East Policy, 19(3), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4967.2012.00550.x
  • Yadav, S. P. (2017, October). Oman is a Mediator in Yemen. Can It Play the Same Role in Qatar? The Qatar Crisis, The Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS), 31, 22–23.
  • Yenigun, C., & Baig, S. (2020). Turkish Public Perceptions About Oman. European Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 3(4), 22–30.

Umman Dış Politikası ve Umman’ın Ortadoğu’da Arabulucu ve Dengeleyici Rolü

Year 2022, , 179 - 190, 29.03.2022
https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.1055119

Abstract

Umman, coğrafi konum ve kadim geleneği ile Orta Doğu’nun merkez gerilimlerinden büyük oranda uzak kalmasına ve bölge siyasetindeki etkisiz görünümüne rağmen bir denge kurmayı ve genellikle denge unsuru olmayı başarmış bir ülkedir. Özellikle 1970’te Sultan Kabus’un 50 yıl sürecek iktidar döneminde önemli açılımlar gerçekleştirerek, bölgesel ve küresel aktörlerle stratejik ilişkiler tesis edebilmiş ve Soğuk Savaş dönemi Orta Doğu’sunda istisnai bir dış politika anlayışı benimsemiştir. Sultan Kabus’un ölümünün ardından ise yerine Heysem bin Tarık gelerek ülkenin yeni yöneticisi oldu. Yeni Sultan’ın yönetimi altında, geleneksel dış politika anlayışı Umman’ın irade ve kapasitesiyle örtüşecek düzeyde bağımsızlık ve ılımlılık üzerine bina edilerek pragmatik bir statükocu yaklaşım ülkenin uluslararası ilişkilerinde ana sütun haline dönüştü.
Bu çalışma Umman’ın yeni sultanı Heysem bin Tarık’ın dış politika yaklaşımına dair ülkenin uluslararası ilişkilerinin mimarı Sultan Kabus’un dış politika çerçevesi ve pratiklerine atıfla bir perspektif sunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, makale Sultan Kabus’un 1970’te iktidara gelişinden günümüze kadar Umman dış politikasındaki süreklilikleri ve kırılmaları kronolojik bir zeminde ele almakta ve ülkenin Orta Doğu siyasetindeki zayıf görünümüne rağmen nasıl etkin politikalar izleyebildiğini açıklamaya çalışmaktadır. Makalede ayrıca Sultan Kabus’un Körfez’deki statükonun korunması ve Umman’ın her koşulda ılımlı bir aktör olarak kalmasında izlediği başarılı siyaset tartışılacaktır. Çalışmada Umman’ın bölgedeki istisnai örnekliği süreç takibi yöntemiyle detaylı bir şekilde incelenecektir.

References

  • After Netanyahu and Abbas visits, Oman offers help in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. (2018, October 27). France 24. https://www.france24.com/en/20181027-oman-netanyahu-abbas-visits-offers-help-israeli-palestinian-peace-efforts-conflict-bahrain
  • Albasoos, H., & Maashani, M. (2020). Oman’s Diplomacy Strategy: Maneuvering Tools to Face Regional Challenges. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 9(2), 152–163. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v9i2.627
  • Allen, C. H., & Rigsbee II, W. L. (2013). Oman Under Qaboos: From Coup to Constitution, 1970-1996 (1st edition). Routledge.
  • Barrett, R. (2015, June 17). Oman’s Balancing Act in the Yemen Conflict. Middle East Institute. https://www.mei.edu/publications/omans-balancing-act-yemen-conflict
  • Colombo, S. (2017). Foreign Policy Activism in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Diverging Narratives and Stances towards the Syrian and Yemeni Conflicts. The International Spectator, 52(2), 54–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2017.1303965
  • Gozanky, Y., & Halevy, E. (2020). Oman: The End of the Qaboos Era. Institute for National Security Studies. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep23510
  • Hakeza Kane Red Abbas ala A’rd es-Sultan Qabus li’l Vasata mea İsrail. (2018, October 28). https://amp.dw.com/ar/صحيفة-هكذا-كان-رد-عباس-على-عرض-السلطان-قابوس-للوساطة-مع-إسرائيل/a-46063673
  • Hilal Ziyaret es-Sultan Haitham li’l Memleke: İnşaa Meclis li’t Tensik Es-Saudi el-Ummani fi Kaafet’il Mecalat. (2021, July 11). https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2021/7/11/خلال-زيارة-السلطان-هيثم-للمملكة-إنشاء
  • Hitab Celaletü’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq el-Mua’zzam. (2020, January 11). https://omaninfo.om/images/library/file/Book889578.pdf
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu makes rare visit to Oman. (2018, October 26). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-oman-idUSKCN1N01WN
  • Lefebvre, J. A. (2010). Oman’s Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First Century. Middle East Policy, 17(1), 99–115.
  • Mason, R. (2014). The Omani Pursuit of a Large Peninsula Shield Force: A Case Study of a Small State’s Search for Security. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 41(4), 355–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/13530194.2014.918801
  • Netenyahu Yezur Sultana Umman fi Evvel Ziyare li Beled Arabi La Tarbutuhu A’lakat mea’ İsrail. (2018, October 26). فرانس 24 / France 24. https://amp.france24.com/ar/20181026-بنيامين-نتانياهو-زيارة-سلطنة-عمان-قابوس-بن-سعيد-إسرائيل-الدول-العربية
  • Oman hopes ceasefire in Yemen is agreed ’very soon’—ONA. (2021, March 30). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-oman-int-idUSKBN2BM1F7
  • Oman Vision 2040. (n.d.). Portal. Retrieved 16 November 2021, from https://omanuna.oman.om/en/home-top-level/eparticipation/oman-vision-2040
  • O’Reilly, M. J. (1998). Omanibalancing: Oman Confronts an Uncertain Future. Middle East Journal, 52(1), 70–84. Owen, R. P. (1973). The Rebellion in Dhofar—A Threat to Western Interests in the Gulf. The World Today, 29(6), 266–272.
  • Qatar appoints first ambassador to Saudi Arabia since rift | GCC News | Al Jazeera. (2021, August 11). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/11/qatar-appoints-first-ambassador-to-saudi-arabia-since-rift
  • Rabi, U. (2005). Oman and the Arab–Israeli Conflict: The Reflection of a Pragmatic Foreign Policy. Israel Affairs, 11(3), 535–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/13537120500122644
  • Reuters. (2021, June 21). Qatar Receives New Saudi Ambassador as the Two Mend Relations. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-receives-new-saudi-ambassador-two-mend-ties-2021-06-21/
  • Saudi-led coalition denies attacking home of Oman envoy to Yemen. (2015, September 20). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-oman-idUSKCN0RK0CE20150920
  • Shamshiri-Fard, M. (2020, January 16). Why Oman Loves Iran. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/16/sultan-qaboos-oman-loves-iran-shah/
  • Sherwood, L. (2017, Autumn). Understanding Oman’s Foreign Policy. Foreign Policy Trends in the GCC States, 11–15. Sultan Umman Yu’id Teşkil Meclisi’l Vüzera ve Yua’yyin Bedir el-Busai’ydi Veziran li’l Hariciyye. (2020, August 18). https://www.aljazeera.net/news/politics/2020/8/18/اا-108
  • Winder, B. (2020, August 26). Oman’s Regional Role in a time of Challenge and Change. Middle East Institute. https://www.mei.edu/publications/omans-regional-role-time-challenge-and-change
  • Worrall, J. (2012). Oman: The“Forgotten” Corner of the Arab Spring. Middle East Policy, 19(3), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4967.2012.00550.x
  • Yadav, S. P. (2017, October). Oman is a Mediator in Yemen. Can It Play the Same Role in Qatar? The Qatar Crisis, The Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS), 31, 22–23.
  • Yenigun, C., & Baig, S. (2020). Turkish Public Perceptions About Oman. European Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 3(4), 22–30.
There are 26 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Relations
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Abdulgani Bozkurt 0000-0002-2049-4760

Muhammed Hüseyin Mercan 0000-0003-4699-0700

Publication Date March 29, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022

Cite

APA Bozkurt, A., & Mercan, M. H. (2022). Oman’s Foreign Policy and Its Mediating and Balancing Role in the Middle East. Marmara Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilimler Dergisi, 10(1), 179-190. https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.1055119