Civilizational Deviation in Collective Mediation: A Comparative Analysis of the Cretan Question and the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

ABSTRACT

This study explores the phenomenon of “civilizational deviation” in collective mediation processes within international conflicts, where perceived civilizational identities significantly impact outcomes. Comparing the late 19th-century Cretan Question and the 1988–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, it reveals how civilizational factors obstruct collective mediation processes. In both cases, conflicting parties held perceptions of civilizational proximity or distance to the collective mediators, diverting mediation process from established international peace frameworks. The mediation process in Crete failed to deter separatism driven by religious self-determination, resulting in a peace design incongruent with prevailing international peace framework (Richmond, Oliver P. 2022. The Grand Design: The Evolution of the International Peace Architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2021. Similarly, the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh faced challenges aligning with normative mandates from the UN peace framework. This analysis illuminates complexities in mediation influenced by civilizational perceptions and highlighting the need to address civilizational deviation for international peace.

KEYWORDS:

• Civilizational deviation
• collective mediation
• international peace framework
• Ottoman-Greek War of 1897
• Nagorno-Karabakh dispute

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Scientific Research Project Coordination of Yıldız Technical University [Grant Number: SDK-2021-4379].

Notes on contributors

Cavit Emre Aytekin

Cavit Emre Aytekin is a Dr. in the Political Science and International Relations Department, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey. His main research interests include conflict resolution & international mediation, peace studies and the diplomatic history of Europe. He can be reached at [email protected]

Mehmet Akif Okur

Mehmet Akif Okur is a professor in the Political Science and International Relations Department, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey. His broad range of research interests covers Middle Eastern politics, American foreign policy, and Turkish–American relations. He can be reached at [email protected]