Foreign Fighters in The Syrian Civil War

Year 2020, Volume: 34 Issue: 3, 1021 - 1043, 15.07.2020

Mustafa Tayfun Üstün

https://doi.org/10.16951/atauniiibd.714342

Cited By: 2

Abstract

This paper is about foreign fighters becoming actors in the Syrian civil war. It consists of three sections. Firstly, the concept of foreign fighters will be analyzed by referring to various usage of the term in the literature in order to avoid reductionism. It is hard to come across a consensus on the term of foreign fighters even though some scholars contribute to the process of conceptualization by emphasizing different aspects. The deterministic features of the term and obstacles towards agreed definition will be discussed in this section. Secondly, it will be examined how foreign fighters affect security and stability in the region. Finally, possible causes and measurements that can be observed in the countries where foreign fighters have nationality will be elaborated. As understood from the literature, the phenomenon of foreign fighter causes problems not only in the region where they fight. Indeed, they can shape social structures of origin countries and their diplomatic relations. In this paper, it is argued that recruiting, activities, surveillance, return and rehabilitation of foreign fighters bring forth new debates in terms of security, stability and international law. Also, it is believed that these issues can be overcome by collaborations at the global level.

Keywords

Foreign Fighters, Terrorism, War, Syria, International Law

Suriye İç Savaşında Yabancı Savaşçılar

Abstract

Bu çalışma Suriye iç savaşında bir aktör haline dönüşmüş olan yabancı savaşçılar hakkındadır. Üç kısımdan oluşan çalışmada ilk olarak yabancı savaşçı teriminin (indirgemecilik tuzağına düşmemek adına) literatürdeki kullanımları dikkate alınarak kavramsal analizi yapılacaktır. Hali hazırda farklı yazarlar yabancı savaşçı teriminin değişik taraflarını vurgulayarak kavramsallaştırma sürecine katkıda bulunmalarına karşın, üzerinde uzlaşılan ortak bir tanıma rastlamak mümkün değildir. Yabancı savaşçı kavramının belirleyici özellikleri ve uzlaşılan tanımın önündeki engeller bu kısımda üzerinde durulacak konular olacaktır. Çalışmanın ikinci kısımda ise yabancı savaşçıların bölgedeki faaliyetleri kapsamında istikrarı nasıl etkilediği tartışılarak, sonrasında uyruğu oldukları ülkelerde ne gibi problemler yarattığı ve bunlara karşı ülkelerin aldığı tedbirler üzerinde durulacaktır. Mevcut literatürden anlaşıldığı üzere yabancı savaşçı olgusu sadece savaştıkları bölgeyle ilgili sorun oluşturmamaktadır. Aksine uyruğu olduğu ülkelerdeki sosyal yapıyı ve bu ülkelerin diplomatik ilişkilerini de etkileyebilmektedir. Çalışmada, yabancı savaşçıların silahaltına alınmasının, bölgedeki faaliyetlerinin, gözetimlerinin, geri dönüşlerinin ve rehabilitasyonlarının güvenlik, istikrar ve uluslararası hukuk açısından yeni tartışmalar doğurduğu ve bu sorunlarla küresel düzeydeki iş birlikleriyle mücadele edilebileceği ileri sürülmektedir.

Keywords

Yabancı Savaşçı, Terörizm, Savaş, Suriye, Uluslararası Hukuk

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