State formation process  

Regions are constructed concepts. The concept of the Middle East is a term created by a Eurocentric perspective rather than a reference to a geographical location. The main aim is to put Europe at the center of the world and to name other places according to their distance from Europe. According to the literature review, the concept of "Middle East" began to be used especially after the Second World War. The concept of the Near East was used after 1453 to show the regions ruled by the Ottomans. In addition, the concept of "Levant", which means the place where the sun rises, is also used. The boundaries of the region and which countries enter this region vary according to the time and who defines it. Countries within the borders of the region are also a matter of discussion. The Middle East, which hosts a historical heritage and is one of the ancient regions of human history, is the center of three divine religions and contains trade routes. The Middle East has been the main target of great states throughout history. Due to its geopolitical and geostrategic location, it has become the center of conflicts. The rich oil and natural gas resources in the region also played an important role in this. There are Muslims, Christians, Jews, as well as sects, alongside Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Persians, and various other minorities. Regardless of ethnicity, are all Arab and the issue of minorities is speculative.

The Treaty of Westphalia made the sovereignty of nation-states a basic principle and the state took on new meanings. The French Revolution triggered nationalist movements in Europe and it spread all around the world in time. International politics was shaped by colonialism, imperialism, and industrialism. No great state wanted big war but the international situation, which was increasingly out of control, made war inevitable. Britain and France were economically superior thanks to industry and colonialism. Then, America, Germany, and Japan joined imperialist powers. Power competition became global. Countries took up arms and industrialized. Some advantages were lost because of modernization in the Arab geography. England and France used very effective methods "to civilize" their colonies, but then they changed strategy because it was not sustainable. Countries started to westernize and modernize over time, or rather they had to. Ottoman Empire began during the reign of Selim III. The interests of countries were in conflict with markets and colonies for natural resources. Unlike previous wars, World War I was launched to achieve unrestricted results. As Germany and America industrialized very rapidly, they gained importance in world politics and the economy. Grand powers didn't want to share the market to expand and the raw materials to be exploited with Italy and Germany. France and Britain wanted to maintain the status quo, but Germany wanted to be imperialist power. New countries wanted to get as much share from the colonies as possible. As the Muslim world weakened in the 18th century, European power was growing. The Ottoman dynasty lasted 500 years and ruled most of the Arab countries for almost 300 years. The Ottoman Empire was previously a European empire politically because the empire's interest in the Balkans was greater than in the Middle East, but everything changed with the nationalist current; As it began to lose its Christian population and lands in Europe, it became a Turkish and Arab majority empire. The British interfered in the Middle East region together with the French and Italians until the First World War. Especially oil in the Middle East made the region more important for England. A paradigm shift took place in world politics after WWI.

With the acceleration of colonial activities, Europeans wanted to divide the Ottomans with secret agreements. England could use these regions to overthrow the Ottomans. In the 19th century, the idea emerged that the caliphate should belong to the Arabs. This gave England a good method of manipulation and a reason for starting a rebellion. Wilson's principles gave hope to Arabs after WWI. As for the question of why the Arabs wanted to establish new countries; The story begins with Sherif Hussein (Emir of Hijaz). He was from an influential tribe, and the British communicated with him secretly. Britain's first strategy was to control Arabs through Hussein. The British were encouraging the Arabs to revolt against the Ottomans, saying they would be rewarded as a result. An independent Arab kingdom was promised to Hussein, but borders were not defined. There were autonomous administrations for the Sacred places because these areas were too far from the capital, and administration was difficult. The most important task of the Emir of Mecca and Medina was to provide security for the pilgrims, but he desired more. After the war, relations changed because Hussein wanted to become the king of all Arabs. When the British realized that Sheriff Hussein was demanding too much, he developed a new strategy. Britain was traditionally looking for a leader who had no ties to the Ottomans, and eventually, they found the Wahhabis. Wahabism tried to destroy Ottoman's impact by blaming them. Saud family has loyal followers and people loved them. Abdulaziz didn't recognize Hussein and declared his kingdom. Then he took the whole of Arabia under his rule. However, since Hussein's family helped so much, they couldn't sacrifice them either. They created new small countries in the Trans-Jordan region. While Abdullah became king of Jordan, Faisal became king of Syria. This situation caused tension between France and England to rise. The Wahhabis occupied the Hejaz in 1932 with the permission of the British. Abdulaziz Bin Saud established the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia and expanded it. Hijaz become a prominent place as a regional place. Abdulaziz supported stability in the region during this period. Oil had not yet been found in the region. America was looking for new places for increasing its national interests after the Great Depression, and the Middle East was a great resource. America contacted Saudi Arabia to look for oil in 1938. ARAMCO was founded.

After the war, although the British initially thought of ruling the country themselves, they faced fierce opposition from the people. In 1920, Faisal was proclaimed king of Syria. With this method, the British planned to have complete dominance in Iraq and to influence other Islamic countries by filling the caliph vacuum that emerged after the Ottoman Empire. Iraq as a multi-ethnic state had always had external control. Iraq had no source to create an independent state by itself. England gave it to them ready. The importance of the region increased with the discovery of oil. Iraq was the first country to be granted independence in the region. Feisal also tried to strike a balance between the natives and the British. French believed in an attack on its rights. Britain did not want to lose Syria to France. Much of the region was under British occupation, and Britain shared the administration of the region with the Arab allies led by Faisal. While Britain wanted the Sykes-Picot Agreement to be revised, France was opposed to it. Although Faisal insisted on the independence of Arabs at Paris Conference, he had to accept what was given to him. British, French, and Zionist plans for the region conflicted with each other. Finally, they agreed on a "mandate". At San Remo Conference, Syria was given under French protection, Iraq, and Palestine under British protection. Arabs objected to resolutions, saying they were contrary to Wilson's principles. At the request of England when Feisal left the country, but he was still a king, France began to control the country. France showed that it was the sole sovereign power. Iraqis had supported the British against the Turks in the war in hopes of independence. After San Remo, an uprising broke out in Iraq then agreements were imposed. There were struggles between Arabs and minorities in Iraq. All of them were against "mandate". Suppressing revolts was expensive for England and when they realized that this system would no longer work, they made Faisal King of Iraq and Abdullah king of Jordan. Although Faisal tried to build a strong army, he was met with the negative attitude of the Kurds and Shiites. Both communities refused to serve the Sunni Arabs as soldiers. The principle of self-determination in the territory was not respected. With the discovery of oil, the country's strategic importance increased. Britain had made alliances with Iraq before independence and made the country relatively autonomous. When the war was over, Palestinians wanted Arab unity and union with Syria. West of the river is divided into Palestine and east as Jordan. Despite the independence agreement between Britain and Iraq, British military bases remained in the country in 1930. In 1933, Faisal's son Gazi became king. In 1935, the Sadabad Pact was formed, out of concern for Italy's invasion of Abyssinia. In 1936, a coup took place under the leadership of Bekir Sıtkı. In 1941, there was a second coup, known as the May operation. The monarchy in Iraq, which came under the British mandate after the Ottoman Empire and declared its independence in 1932, was overthrown in a military coup in 1958, and the republican regime was established. After the Second World War, Iraq sided with the Soviet Union.

  Jordan wasn't an organic country. Jordan's vital role in the Middle East is due to its strategic location. The country is located at the intersection of lands considered sacred by Christians, Muslims, and Jews. In 1920, England established a semi-autonomous regime in Jordan. After World War I, England occupied Jordan, which belonged to the Ottoman State, and appointed Hashemi Abdullah as Emir. The capital was designated Amman in 1921. There were 3 reasons to legitimize these regions. Jordan is a newly founded state. Firstly, this region was inhabited by Bedouins and lacked a single central power. The Bedouins were used to being free, not living by certain rules. Bedouins often fought among themselves and used guerrilla tactics. For England, this situation was a threat. By placing the region under Abdullah's control, they were killing two birds with one stone. Now they would control over all the bedouins. The second was due to the expansionist movements of France. Britain, which did not want France to gain power in the region since Napoleon, did not want to leave Syria and Lebanon to France because Syria was close to Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan, but Lebanon was sacrificed. Finally, England wanted to create a safe space. The League of Nations recognized Jordan as a state under British supervision in 1922. In 1923, Jordan gained its independence. In 1946, the UN defined Jordan as an independent kingdom. With the establishment of Israel in 1948, many Palestinians immigrated to Jordan. King Abdullah was killed in 1951.

 In 1945, Arab countries came together and established an Arab League organization. The Arab League operation also led to an increase in nationalistic feelings among Arab countries. As a result of this, the idea of uniting Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon as a single country was put forward. Especially England supported the idea of the unification of Arabs. With this unification, the British aimed to remove the French domination in Syria and Lebanon and to bring these regions under their own dominance. Egypt's concern was that it would lose its status as the largest country in the Arab world. This idea of unity could not be realized due to the weakening of the British influence in the Middle East, the establishment of the state of Israel, and Egypt's opposition.

Eventually, contrary to agreements, it was a disappointment for Arabs who had fought for the United Arab Kingdom and put Arab lands under the "mandate" administration of Britain and France. Most of the communities that have been divided into tribes are further divided by artificial borders.