Middle East Politics

Hacettepe UniversityDepartment of International RelationsInstructor: Dr. Arzu Celalifer EkinciStudent: Cüneyt Söyler

Arab Republic of EgyptGumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyya

Introduction Geography History People Government Economy Media Foreign Relations

content

On 28.November and 5.December

Bicameral parliamentary system 1st chamber: People assembly -> elections 2nd chamber: Shura council -> only

advisory functions Winner:221 seats National Democratic Party

-> 95% Problems?

Parliamentary elections

Area: 1,001,450 sq. km. (386,000 sq. mi.); approximately equal to Texas and New Mexico combined.

Cities: Capital--Cairo (pop. estimated at 16 million). Other cities--Alexandria (6 million), Aswan, Asyut, Port Said, Suez, Ismailia.

Terrain: Desert, except Nile valley and delta.

Climate: Dry, hot summers; moderate winters.

Geography

HistoryGiza pyramid complex

Great Sphinx of Giza

1. Pre-historic Egypt 2. Ancient Egypt 3. Persian, Greek and Roman occupation 4. Arab and Ottoman occupation 5. Modern history 6. 20th century

History II

Completion of Suez Canal in 1869 ->transportation hub

1882 British Conquest 1805 until 1882 – Dynasty of Muhammad Ali 1882 until March 1922 – British Empire 1914 Egypt became protectorate of the BE 1922 until July 1952 – Egypt Kingdom ->Monarchy 1953: Egyptian republic was declared First President:Muhammad Naguib In 1956 Gamal Abdel Nasser assume power as President In 1906, the Dinshaway Incident prompted many neutral Egyptians to join the

nationalist movement. After the First World War, Saad Zaghlul and the Wafd Party led the Egyptian nationalist movement to a majority at the local Legislative Assembly. When the British exiled Zaghlul and his associates to Malta on March 8, 1919, the country arose in its first modern revolution. The revolt led Great Britain to issue a unilateral declaration of Egypt's independence on February 22, 1922

Suez-Crisis 1956

History III

Six-Day War 1967 Fight between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt

[known then as the United Arab Republic (UAR)], Jordan, and Syria

Clear victory of Israel and took GAZA-STRIP, Sinai-Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria

Sadat has 1979 peace treaty in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from Sinai (Sadat was murdered in Cairo in 1981)

Statue of Israeli-occupied territories is the most important point/problem in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

History IV

In a momentous change from the Nasser era, President Sadat shifted Egypt from a policy of confrontation with Israel to one of peaceful accommodation through negotiations. Following the Sinai Disengagement Agreements of 1974 and 1975, Sadat created a fresh opening for progress by his dramatic visit to Jerusalem in November 1977. This led to President Jimmy Carter's invitation to President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin to join him in trilateral negotiations at Camp David.

The historic Camp David accords were signed by Egypt and Israel and witnessed by the U.S. on September 17, 1978. The accords led to the March 26, 1979 signing of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, by which Egypt regained control of the Sinai in May 1982. Throughout this period, U.S.-Egyptian relations steadily improved, but Sadat's willingness to break ranks by making peace with Israel resulted in the enmity of most other Arab states.

Camp David and the Peace Process

Nationality: Noun and adjective: Egyptian(s).Population (July 2007 est.): 80,335,036.Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 1.72%.Ethnic groups: Egyptian, Bedouin Arab, Nubian.

Religions: Muslim 90%, Coptic Christian 9%, other Christian 1%.Languages: Arabic (official), English, French. Education: Years compulsory--ages 6-15. Literacy--total adult 58%.Health: Infant mortality rate (2006 est.)--31.33 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (2006 est.)--71 years.

People

Type: RepublicIndependence: 1922.Constitution: 1971. Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, cabinet.

Legislative--People's Assembly (444 elected and 10 presidentially appointed members; an additional 64 seats for women were created in 2009), and Shura (consultative) Council (176 elected members, 88 presidentially appointed). Judicial--Supreme Constitutional Court.

Administrative subdivisions: 29 governorates (muhafazat). Principal political parties: National Democratic Party

(ruling). Principal opposition parties--New Wafd Party, Al Ghad Party, Democratic Front Party, National Progressive Unionist Grouping (Tagammau), and Nasserite Party.Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Government I

Principal Government Officials President: Mohamed Hosni MubarakPrime

Minister: Ahmed NazifMinister of Foreign Affairs: Ahmed Aboul GheitAmbassador to the United States:

Sameh Shoukry Ambassador to Turkey: Abderahman

Salaheldin Permanent Representative to the United Nations: Maged Abdel Fattah Abdelaziz

Government II

Mohamed Hosni Mubarrak:current President of Egypt

President since 1981

Autocratic, using dictatorial power

Government III

GDP (FY 2009 est.): $188 billion. (615,7 $billion)Annual growth rate (FY 2009 est.): 4.7%. (4,7)Per capita GDP (PPP, FY 2009 est.): $5,650. (8710)Natural resources: Petroleum and natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc.

Agriculture: Products--cotton, rice, onions, beans, citrus fruits, wheat, corn, barley, sugar.

Industry: Types--food processing, textiles, chemicals, petrochemicals, construction, light manufacturing, iron and steel products, aluminum, cement, military equipment.

Trade (FY 2009): Exports--$25.2 billion: petroleum, clothing and textiles, cotton, fruits and vegetables, manufactured goods. Major markets--EU, U.S., Middle East. Imports--$50.3 billion: machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, livestock, food and beverages, paper and wood products, chemicals. Major suppliers--EU, U.S., China.

Turkeys data red colored

Economy

Egyptian media are highly influential throughout the Arab World, attributed to large audiences and increasing freedom from government control.

Freedom of the media is guaranteed in the constitution; however, many laws still restrict this right.

After the Egyptian presidential election of 2005, Ahmed Selim, office director for Information Minister Anas al-Fiqi, declared an era of a "free, transparent and independent Egyptian media.

Media

Egypt occupies a strategic position as a land bridge between two continents and a link between two principal waterways, the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean

Egypt's foreign policy operates along a non-aligned level. Factors such as population size, historical events, military strength, diplomatic expertise and a strategic geographical position give Egypt extensive political influence in the Middle East, Africa and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a whole. Cairo has been a crossroads of Arab commerce and culture for millennia, and its intellectual and Islamic institutions are at the center of the region's social and cultural development.

Egypt is a key partner in the search for peace in the Middle East and resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In 2000, he hosted two summits at Sharm El-Sheikh and one at Taba in an effort to resume the Camp David negotiations suspended in July 2000, and in June 2003, Mubarak hosted President George W. Bush for another summit on Middle East peace process. Another summit was convened in Sharm El Sheik in early 2005, which was attended by Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

Foreign Relations I

Libya: Since 1989 relations have steadily improved. With the progressive lifting of UN and US sanctions from 2003–2008, the two countries have been working together to jointly develop their oil and natural gas industries.

Iran: According to one American report, Mubarak views Iran as the primary long-term challenge facing Egypt, and an Egyptian official said that Iran is running agents inside Egypt in an effort to subvert the Egyptian regime.

EU: European Union relations with Egypt are based on a partnership relation within the Euro – Mediterranean and Middle East area, which is of vital strategic importance and a key external relations priority for the EU.

Foreign Relations II

An economic cooperation is one very important example. As we know, Turkish investors have endorsed a large number of projects and industrial investments in Egypt and many more are expected to be ratified. It is certain that a sharing of technological expertise and an increased trade between the two states would increase the economic capacity and pave the way for further growth and development. Furthermore, joint investments in other North African and African countries could be an advantageous possibility.

Both countries have embassies and consulate generals in each other's capitals. Both countries have signed a free trade agreement in December 2005. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. A natural gas deal between Egypt and Turkey—the largest joint Egyptian-Turkish project to date, estimated to cost $4 billion—is being implemented. On April 16 of 2008, Egypt and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to improve and further military relations and cooperation between the two countries. Turkey and Egypt are among the leading countries of both the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, and are often said to be key in middle-east peace.

Foreign Relations III (Turkey)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_parliamentary_election,_2010

http://www.imf.org/external/country/egy/index.htm?type=9998#55  http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5309.htm

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt

http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/africa.html

http://www.countryreports.org/people/ageStructure.aspx?Countryname=&countryId=91

List of Literature

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