ABSTRACT
In reviewing the period from 1989 to 1995 the first question one asks is: does the concept of “the Near East” as defined in the original work require modification as a result of the experience of those years? The question of the links of north Africa with the region is ever-present and the collapse of the Soviet Union raises the possibility of extending the definition eastwards to embrace the Turkish- and Persian-speaking Muslim countries of the former USSR. Furthermore, the closer links of Turkey with the European Union raise a question of whether that state should still be included within the Near East. The answer seems to be that the original concept is still valid. The former Soviet republics showed no inclination to develop especially close links with the region, and north Africa had its distinct problems and links: Maghreb union was still canvassed during the period; indeed a premature union was established in February 1989. And a conclusive answer was delivered by the Kuwayt war of 1990–1 which affected all the states of the Near East, including Turkey, more directly than any others.
