ORIENTALISM IN HENRY KISSINGER’S FOREIGN POLICY DISCOURSE DURING THE 1973 ARAB-ISRAELI WAR

Year 2022, Volume: 23 Issue: 4, 386 - 403, 31.12.2022

Oğuzhan Yanarışık , Sabit İbrahim Akca

https://doi.org/10.53443/anadoluibfd.1134264

Abstract

This article examines Henry Kissinger’s foreign policy discourse during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War through a Critical Discourse Analysis. The central theme of the article is whether Henry Kissinger had Orientalist conceptions as a decision maker in U.S. foreign policy during this event in 1973. In order to provide a theoretical framework, Critical Discourse Analysis and Edward Said’s definition of Orientalism are discussed in the first and second parts. In the last part, a Critical Discourse Analysis is utilized to uncover the ideas that Henry Kissinger, who was the main figure in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, has not expressed openly. For this purpose, official historical documents such as policy documents, memorandum of conversations, transcripts of telephone calls, meeting minutes and anecdotes regarding U.S. foreign policy decisions in the relevant period are used. As the 1973 Arab-Israeli War emerged, derogatory terms, acts of dehumanization and miscalculations are found to exist with Henry Kissinger in the decision-making processes. Thus, it is concluded that Kissinger had indeed preconceived ideas that fit Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism.

Keywords

Henry Kissinger, Orientalism, Foreign Policy Discourse, 1973 Arab-Israeli War

HENRY KISSINGER’IN 1973 ARAP-İSRAİL SAVAŞI ESNASINDAKİ DIŞ POLİTİKA SÖYLEMİNDE ORYANTALİZM

Abstract

Bu makale, Henry Kissinger’ın 1973 Arap-İsrail Savaşı sırasındaki dış politika söylemini eleştirel bir söylem analizi üzerinden incelemektedir. Makalenin ana teması, 1973’teki bu olay sırasında ABD dış politikasında bir karar verici olarak Henry Kissinger’ın Oryantalist anlayışlara sahip olup olmadığıdır. Kuramsal bir çerçeve sağlamak amacıyla, birinci ve ikinci bölümlerde Eleştirel Söylem Analizi ve Edward Said’in Oryantalizm tanımı ele alınmıştır. Son bölümde ise 1973 Arap-İsrail Savaşı sırasında ABD dış politikasının yürütülmesinde ana figür olan Henry Kissinger’ın dillendirmediği fikirlerini ortaya çıkarmak amacıyla eleştirel söylem analizi kullanılmıştır. Bu amaçla ilgili dönemde ABD dış politika kararlarına ilişkin politika belgeleri, görüşme muhtıraları, telefon görüşmelerinin tutanakları, toplantı tutanakları ve anekdotlar gibi resmi tarihi belgelerden yararlanılmıştır 1973 Arap-İsrail Savaşı ortaya çıkarken karar alma süreçlerinde aşağılayıcı terimlerin, insandışılaştırmanın ve yanlış hesaplamaların Henry Kissinger ile var olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Böylelikle Kissinger’ın, Edward Said’in Oryantalizm kavramına uyan önyargılı fikirlere sahip olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

Keywords

Henry Kissinger, Oryantalizm, Dış Politika Söylemi, 1973 Arap-İsrail Savaşı

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