To understand foreign policy, it is crucial to examine the internal dynamics within the state that shape decision-making. In this context, who makes decisions matters. The authors of this book use the main premises of foreign policy analysis (FPA) and leadership analysis to brilliantly demonstrate the importance of beliefs of leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in shaping foreign policy. The book addresses several crucial questions posed by scholars, analysts, politicians, and governments.

The book contains seven well-balanced chapters, incorporating both theory and empirical information. In the first chapter, authors Ozdamar and Canbolat provide a thorough introduction to foreign policy decision-making in the MENA region and the theoretical framework used. The next four chapters focus on different groups of leaders: leaders belonging to political Islam and Sunni ideology, political Islam and Shia ideology, secularist leaders in the Levant, and armed nonstate actors. The last two chapters address the theoretical and policy implications of their work. Each chapter is presented in a stand-alone format, allowing the logic of the method and theory to be explained anew in each chapter. This approach is helpful for readers who wish to focus on specific chapters, making the book more accessible to students and policymakers.

The authors make a