• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Dimitar Bechev",
    "Ahmet Erdi Öztürk"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie Europe"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
  "programAffiliation": "EP",
  "programs": [
    "Europe"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "Europe",
    "Türkiye",
    "Eastern Europe",
    "Iran",
    "Saudi Arabia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy",
    "Religion"
  ]
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

In The Media
Carnegie Europe

Competing Over Islam: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran In the Balkans

In the last two decades, the Balkans appear to have become a new arena for religious competition between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The strategies used by these very different actors show their efforts in exporting faith in the name of power and in projecting their identity and domestic structures.

Link Copied
By Dimitar Bechev and Ahmet Erdi Öztürk
Published on Jan 11, 2022

Middle East Institute

About the Authors

Dimitar Bechev

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Dimitar Bechev is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, where he focuses on EU enlargement, the Western Balkans, and Eastern Europe.

Ahmet Erdi Öztürk

London Metropolitan University

Dr. Ahmet Erdi Öztürk is an associate professor of politics and international relations at London Metropolitan University.

Authors

Dimitar Bechev
Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Dimitar Bechev
Ahmet Erdi Öztürk
London Metropolitan University
Foreign PolicyReligionMiddle EastEuropeTürkiyeEastern EuropeIranSaudi Arabia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    The Much-Touted Middle Corridor Transport Route Could Prove a Dead End

    For the Middle Corridor to fulfill its promises, one of these routes must become scalable. At present, neither is.

      Friedrich Conradi

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    What’s Having More Impact on Russian Oil Export Revenues: Ukrainian Strikes or Rising Prices?

    Although Ukrainian strikes have led to a noticeable decline in the physical volume of Russian oil exports, the rise in prices has more than made up for it.

      • Sergey Vakulenko

      Sergey Vakulenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia Is Meddling for Meddling’s Sake in the Middle East

    The Russian leadership wants to avoid a dangerous precedent in which it is squeezed out of Iran by the United States and Israel—and left powerless to respond in any meaningful way.

      Nikita Smagin

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Will Hungary’s New Leader Really Change EU Policy on Russia and Ukraine?

    Orbán created an image for himself as virtually the only opponent of aid to Ukraine in the entire EU. But in reality, he was simply willing to use his veto to absorb all the backlash, allowing other opponents to remain in the shadows.

      Maksim Samorukov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Power, Pathways, and Policy: Grounding Central Asia’s Digital Ambitions

    Central Asia’s digital ambitions are achievable, but only if policy is aligned with the region’s physical constraints.

      Aruzhan Meirkhanova

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.