IS IT A SECTARIAN COMPETITION OR SECTARIAN WARS?

Abstract

The Arab Spring started from Tunisia and spread to Egypt and Libya has caused regime changes in these countries within a short period of time. However, its reflections to the Iraq, Syria and Yemen were totally different because of the sectarian dimensions of the conflicts. The Iran and Saudi Arabia, which were known as the pioneer of sectarian competition in the Middle East, took their positions in the scene without any delay in order not to let the change of balance of power to their disadvantage. While Iran struggled with its all power during Syrian crisis in order to prevent the fall of Essad regime from the power by using  its  Qods Corps  and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia and its coalition ally launched an air operation in Yemen against the Houthis to prevent any  shift of  power balance  to the advantage of Iran. From the beginning of the Arab Spring up to now, Iran virtually was able to turn Baghdad and Damascus to the satraps of former Persian era, and this new situation dragged Iran and Saudi Arabia into a proxy war over Yemen. In fact the Arab Spring initially targeted the oppressor regimes of Middle East, but with Syria and Yemeni examples, the quantity of the conflict has changed and now we are facing sectarian wars. As we know of Western Europe’s examples, the sectarian wars can be more destructive and long standing.

Key Words: Middle East, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sectarian Wars

Keywords

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MEZHEBİ REKABET Mİ, MEZHEP SAVAŞLARI MI?

Öz

Tunus’ta başlayarak kısa sürede Mısır ve Libya gibi ülkelerde yönetim değişikliğine yol açan Arap Baharı, daha sonra Irak,  Suriye ve Yemen gibi ülkelerde ağırlıklı olarak mezhepsel iç çatışmalara dönüştü. Ortadoğu’daki mezhebi rekabetin öncüleri olarak bilinen İran ve Suudi Arabistan, Arap Baharının tetiklediği bu çatışma ortamında, bölgesel güç dengesinin kendi aleyhlerine dönmemesi için azami bir çaba sarf etmekle kalmadılar; bizzat taraf olarak sahneye indiler. İran, Suriye krizinde, Beşer Esat’ın düşmemesi için Lübnan Hizbullah’ı ve Kudüs Ordusuyla Irak ve Suriye’de tüm gücüyle mücadele ederken, Suudi Arabistan da Yemen’de, güç dengesinin İran’ın desteklediği Husiler’den yana değişmemesi için koalisyon ortaklarıyla hava operasyonlarına başladı. Arap Baharının başlamasından bu yana, Bağdat ve Şam’ı adeta Pers İmparatorluğu dönemindeki Satraplıklarına dönüştürmeyi başaran İran, başta Yemen olmak üzere, Ortadoğu’da Suudi Arabistan ile bir vekâlet savaşına girmiş bulunmaktadır. Arap Baharı baskıcı rejimleri hedef alıyordu, ancak giderek mezhebi niteliğin ön plana çıktığı çatışmalar, daha önce Batı’daki örneklerden de bildiğimiz gibi, çok daha yıkıcı ve uzun süreli olabilecek gibi gözükmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ortadoğu, Suriye, Irak, Yemen, Mezhep Savaşları

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