KURIL ISLANDS ISSUE REGIONAL AND GLOBAL GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The issue of the Kuriles can be seen as a result of World War II and a reflection of the Cold War era. Although 73 years have passed since the end of World War II, no peace treaty between Japan and USSR/Russian Federation has been signed because both parties claim sovereignty on the Northern Territories/South Kuriles. The islands had been controlled by Japan until the World War II. Since then, they have been under Russian Federation control. The Kuril Islands, being resource-rich and strategically important, have evolved from an ordinary territorial issue between the two countries to an instrument of geopolitical settlement and vantage point for great powers. The islands form the Eastern borders of Russian Federation and provide the access of the Pacific Fleet, the second largest fleet of Russian Federation, to the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, if the Kuril Islands come under Tokyo's rule, it will allow the United States, Japan's biggest ally, to maintain its military superiority over the Russian Federation. This article examines the issue of the Kuril Islands as a point of great power conflict, on which the Russia’s New Eurasianism and the western containment theories intersects and its potential to affect the regional and global balance of power. The article examines the issue in terms of international law, current geopolitical objectives of the related actors and the roles of the US and the PRC.

Keywords

• Kuril Islands
• Northern Territories/South Kuriles
• Geopolitics
• Russian-Japanese Relations

KURİL ADALARI SORUNU: BÖLGESEL VE KÜRESEL JEOPOLİTİK AÇIDAN ÖNEMİ

Abstract

Kuril Adaları sorunu 2. Dünya Savaşı'nın bir sonucu ve Soğuk Savaş döneminin bir yansıması olarak görülebilir. 2. Dünya Savaşı’nın ardından 73 yıl geçmesine rağmen Japonya ve Rusya arasında hala bir barış anlaşması imzalanmamıştır. Bunun nedeni ise Rusya’nın Kamchatsk ile Japonya’nın Hokkaido bölgeleri arasında bulunan Kuzeydeki topraklar/Güneydeki Kuriller üzerinde iki tarafın da egemenlik iddiasında bulunmasıdır. Kuril Adaları 2. Dünya Savaşı öncesinde Japonların elindeydi, 2. Dünya Savaşının sonundan itibaren ise Rusya’nın fiili kontrolü altında bulunmaktadırlar. Hem kaynak bakımından zengin hem de stratejik bakımdan önemli konuma sahip olan Kuril Adaları, iki ülke arasında sıradan bir toprak meselesi olmaktan çıkarak büyük güçlerin jeopolitik hesaplaşma ve avantaj sağlama aracına dönüşmüştür. Kuril Adaları Rusya Federasyonu’nun doğu sınırlarını oluşturmakta ve ikinci büyüklükteki filosu olan Pasifik Filosunun Pasifik okyanusuna çıkışını sağlamaktadır. Kuril Adaları Tokyo’nun kontrolü altına girdiği takdirde ise, Japonya'nın en büyük müttefiki olan ABD’nin Rusya’ya karşı askeri üstünlüğünü devam ettirmesini sağlayacaktır. Makalede Kuril Adaları meselesi, büyük güçlerin çatışma alanı olarak yani Rusya Federasyonu’nun Yeni Avrasyacılık çizgisinin ve ABD’nin kuşatma teorisinin kesiştiği nokta olarak ele alınılacaktır. Böylece sorunun tüm mahiyeti yansıtılarak hem bölgesel hem de küresel anlamda güç dengelerini etkileme potansiyeli açıklanmaya çalışılacaktır. Bu doğrultuda Kuril adaları sorununun tarihi, uluslararası hukuk bakımından durumu, bölge ile ilgili güçlerin güncel jeopolitik hedefleri, ABD’nin ve ÇHC’nin rolleri incelenecektir.

Keywords

• Kuril Adaları
• Kuzey Topraklar/Güney Kuriller
• Jeopolitik
• Rusya ve Japonya İlişkileri

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