The Soviet Union’s Mediterranean Policy and the Ramadan/Yom Kippur War of 1973

Abstract

Soviet policy, attitude and approaches towards the Mediterranean were determined by political and geographical conditions. This policy was also affected by the wars in the region. One of the most important of these wars in the 20th century was the 1973 Ramadan/Yom Kippur War. This war, which fundamentally changed the Arab-Israeli conflict and its dynamics, is an important turning point in this process. The Mediterranean and the Middle East region have become one of the most problematic regions in world politics, especially in the second half of the 20th century. The 1973 Ramadan/Yom Kippur War affected the situations mentioned above and permanently changed the political, economic and military balances in the region, but especially in the Eastern Mediterranean. The 1973 War, which mostly consisted of air and ground wars, but was not limited to land and air conflicts. It also had reflections on the sea. With this aspect, it brought with it the risk of drawing both Cold War era superpowers into the conflict. Therefore, in this study, the maritime dimension of this important political and military event that affected the future of the Middle East and the Mediterranean region in the last quarter of the 20th century was discussed.

Keywords

• 1973 Ramadan/Yom Kippur War
• US 6th Fleet
• Soviet 5th Fleet
• Arab-Israeli Conflict
• Irreversibility Doctrine

Sovyetler Birliği’nin Akdeniz Politikası ve 1973 Ramazan/Yom Kippur Savaşı

Abstract

Akdeniz’e yönelik Sovyet politikasını siyasi ve coğrafik şartlar belirlemiştir. Bu politika bölgede yaşanan savaşlardan da etkilenmiştir. Bu savaşlardan 20. yüzyılda yaşanan en önemlilerinden biri ise 1973 Ramazan/Yom Kippur Savaşı’dır. Arap-İsrail anlaşmazlığını ve dinamiklerini temelden değiştiren bu savaş, bu açıdan önemli bir dönüm noktasıdır. Yaşanan olaylar yüzünden Akdeniz ve Ortadoğu bölgesi, özellikle 20. yüzyılın ikinci yarısında dünya siyasetindeki en sorunlu bölgelerden birisi haline gelmiştir. 1973 Ramazan/Yom Kippur Savaşı Ortadoğu bölgesi ile Akdeniz havzasında ama özelikle Doğu Akdeniz’deki siyasi, ekonomik ve askeri dengelerin kalıcı olarak değişmesine ve yeni düzleme oturmasına sebep olmuştur. 1973 Ramazan/Yom Kippur Savaşı kara ve havadaki çatışmalarla sınırlı kalmamış, Akdeniz bölgesine de yansımaları olmuştur. Bu yönü ile de dönemin iki süper gücünü çatışmanın içine çekme riskini beraberinde getirmiştir. İşte sebepten dolayı bu çalışmada 20.yüzyılın son çeyreğinde yaşanan ve Ortadoğu ve Akdeniz bölgesinin geleceğini etkileyen bu önemli siyasi ve askeri olayın Akdeniz’deki dengelere olan etkisi ele alınmıştır.

Keywords

• 1973 Ramazan/Yom Kippur Savaşı
• ABD 6. Filosu
• Sovyet 5. Filosu
• Arap-İsrail Çatışması
• Geri Döndürülemezlik Doktrini

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