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Paper short abstract:

How are history and cultural references mobilized to legitimize contemporary political, economic and social interactions in the Red Sea region? This paper utilizes the concept of geocultural power to comprehend the manifold geopolitical dynamics in the region.

Paper long abstract:

The Red Sea region is at the center of a new geopolitical intrigue. The current intensity in political, economic, and social cooperation between states in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East has aroused quite a stir in foreign policy debate and analysis. Leading Western and African think thanks consider the investments by Middle East companies and governments in infrastructure and logistics across the Horn or the various bilateral agreements on topics including security and migration as expressions of a new geostrategic play determined by a purely transactional logic.

In this paper, we sketch an alternative research agenda that aims at coming to terms with the above dynamics in a way that explores historical and cultural frames that underpin the diverse contemporary interactions between the Middle East and actors in the Horn of Africa. Our point of departure here is that the establishment of a common ideational ground is pivotal for effective interaction.

We take our cues from Tim Winter’s concept of “geocultural power” that explores how history as well as cultural references (artifacts, symbols, practices) are mobilized as mechanisms for projecting power (Winter 2020, 2021). While Winter locates geocultural references primarily in official government narratives, we are interested in identifying how such geocultural narratives reverberate across society. As an initial point of illustration, we will be discussing Turkey’s vibrant economic and political engagement in the countries of the Horn, and situate it within the country’s Neo-Ottoman foreign policy.