Öz Abstract: Although dependency theory is usually described as theworldview of the 1960s and 1970s, economic and political life in poor countriesare still not able to overcome their standing problem of dependency on othercountries. This article argues that dependency approach is still an appropriatetool for explaining economic and political situation in the Middle Eastercountries. Within this framework, the article articulates the dependency theoryand the modernization approach, a related concept, and evaluates theexplanatory power of the dependency theory in such fields as finance, nutrition,oil and industry.Keywords: Dependency, Dependency Theory, The Middle East, ThirdWorld Development, Modernization