DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN 2008 WAR: REPRESENTATION OF THE TURKISH PERSPECTIVE

Year 2019, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 50 - 70, 30.05.2019

Giray Saynur Derman , Salome Tsıkarıshvılı , Yulia Yatsenko

Abstract

This article’s aim is to represent the impact of the Russian-Georgian war from the Russian, Georgian, and Turkish point of views. The main focus of the study is to understand how Turkey’s state structure represented itself during the August war in 2008 and how it affected the world public opinion. Although the war excessively damaged the Turkish foreign policy, Turkish government supported Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial unity. Thus, assuming the role of a mediator between Turkey’s two major allies, the West and Russia, Turkey has managed to become one of the important regional players in this war.

Keywords

August War, Turkey, Foreign Policy, Discourse Analysis, Power Legitimation

2008 RUSYA-GÜRCİSTAN SAVAŞI’NIN FARKLI ÖZELLİKLERİ: TÜRK PERSPEKTİFİNDEN BİR İNCELEME

Abstract

Bu makalenin amacı 2008 Rusya-Gürcistan Savaşı'nın etkisini Gürcü, Rus ve Türk perspektifinden görmektir. Çalışmanın temel odak noktası, Türkiye devlet yapısının bu savaş sırasında kendini nasıl temsil ettiğini, dünya kamuoyunda bu etkinin ne şekilde olduğunu anlamaktır. Türk dış politikası bu savaşta olumsuz etkilense de Türk Hükümeti Gürcistan’ın egemenliği ve toprak bütünlüğünü savaş sırasında desteklemiştir. Böylece Türkiye, iki büyük müttefiki olan Batı ve Rusya arasında arabulucu olma rolünü üstlenerek mevzubahis savaşta önemli bölgesel oyunculardan biri olmayı başarmıştır.

Keywords

Ağustos Savaşı, Türkiye, Dış Politika, Söylem Analizi, Güç Meşruiyeti

References

• “A Month Ago, the Shelling of Tskhinvali Began”, Vesti News, https://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=207364, (Date of Accession: 31.12.2018). “Concept of the Russian Federation Foreign Policy”, Kremlin, http:// kremlin.ru/acts/news/785, (Date of Accession: 01.01.2019). “Erdoğan Acil Önlem için Devreye Girdi”, Sabah, http://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2008/08/12/ haber,049E4BFEC323421D8D17C28A983C6911.html, (Date of Accession: 12.11.2018). “Erdoğan Saakaşvili ile Görüştü”, Hürriyet, http://www.hurriyet. com.tr/gundem/erdogan-saakasvili-ile-gorustu-9617668, (Date of Accession: 29.11.2018). “Erdoğan: Acılarını Paylaşmaya Geldik”, Hürriyet, http:// www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/erdogan-acilarini-paylasmayageldik- 9666239, (Date of Accession: 15.10. 2018). “Erdoğan: Kafkas Birliği Kuralım”, Sabah, http://arsiv.sabah.com. tr/2008/08/11/haber,7FFE406CDF114D6A844150EBCD91769B. html, (Date of Accession:11.12.2018). “Gül’den Kafkasya Değerlendirmesi”, Sabah, http://arsiv.sabah. com.tr/2008/08/12/index.html, (Date of Accession: 12.09.2018). “Medvedev ve Saakaşvili’ye Mesaj”, Haber Turk, https://www. haberturk.com/dunya/haber/91176-medvedeve-ve-saakasviliyeayni- mesaj, (Date of Accession: 13.11. 2018). “Medvedev ve Saakaşvili’ye Mesaj”, Sabah, http://arsiv.sabah.com. tr/2008/08/13/haber,E33D825343B4472BA91509F74AB78821. html, (Date of Accession: 13.11.2018). “Peacekeepers Came under Fire”, NTV News, https://www.ntv.ru/ novosti/137926/ (Date of Accession: 26.07.2018). “Policy of Zero Problems with our Neighbors”, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.mfa.gov.tr/policy-ofzero- problems-with-our-neighbors.en.mfa, (Date of Accession: 09.08.2018). “Turkey Urges Dialogue in Georgia-Russia Conflict”, Hürriyet, http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/turkey-urges-dialogue-ingeorgia- russia-conflict-9614123, (Date of Accession: 08.08.2018). ASHLEY, Richard K., “Foreign Policy as Political Performance”, International Studies Notes, 13, 1993, p. 51-54. ASMUS, Ronald D., A Little War That Shook the World: Georgia, Russia and The Future of The West, Palgrave Macmillan, New York 2010, p. 9. CAMPBELL, David, Writing Security: United States Foreign Policy and the Politics of Identity, Minnesota Press, Minneapolis 1992. CEDR, Doc. No. CEP-95032 August 8, 2008. ÇELİK, Kadir Ertaç-Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, “Aralık 2017 Ulusal Güvenlik Strateji Belgesi Bağlamında ABD’nin Karadeniz Politikası ve Türkiye”, KARAM, 15(60), 2018, p. 100-122. ÇELİKPALA, Mithat, “From a Failed State to a Weak One? Georgia and Turkish-Georgian Relations”, The Turkish Yearbook, 2005, p. 183-185. DEDEOĞLU, Beril, “Boğazlar, Yeniden...”, Time Turk, https://www. timeturk.com/tr/makale/beril-dedeoglu/bogazlar-yeniden.html, (Date of Accession: 20.08.2008). DEMİRTAŞ-BAGDONAS, Özlem, “Reading Turkey’s Foreign Policy on Syria: The AKP’s Construction of a Great Power Identity and the Politics of Grandeur”, Turkish Studies Journal, 15(1), Spring 2014, p. 139-155. EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin-Şafak Oğuz, “Hybrid Warfare Studies and Russia’s Example in Crimea”, Gazi Akademik Bakış, 9(17), Winter 2015, p. 261-277. HANSEN, Lene, Security as Practice: Discourse analysis and Bosnian War, Routledge, London and New York 2006. KOSHELENKO, Olga, “The Kremlin’s Propaganda”, TCN, https:// tsn.ua/svit/gruzinskiy-diplomat-poyasniv-chomu-08-08-08-yefikciyeyu- a-napad-rf-pripav-na-inshu-datu-1198599.html, (Date Accessed: 09.08.2018). Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Statement N. 144, (Date of Accession: 10.08.2018). Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Statement N. 156, (Date of Accession: 26.08.2018). NICOL, Jim, Russia-Georgia Conflict in August 2008: Context and Implications for U.S. Interests, Congressional Research Service 2009. SHUMKA, A.V., “Information Concern in The View of The Georgian- Russian Conflict (August 8-12, 2008)”, Viysʹkovo-Naukovyy Visnyk, 2009, p. 254-260. TOAL, Gerard, Near Abroad: Putin, The West, and The Contest Over Ukraine and The Caucasus, Oxford University Press, New York 2017. TSIMBALYUK, Roman, “Russian-Georgian War: An Anniversary of Aggression, Which was Carefully Prepared”, Unian, https://www. unian.ua/world/252918-rosiysko-gruzinska-viyna-richnitsyaagresiji- do-yakoji-retelno-gotuvalisya.html, (Date of Accession: 01.01.2019). ZAKVASIN, Alexey, “What Led to the Conflict of Georgia and South Ossetia in August 2008”, RT, https://russian.rt.com/ussr/ article/543411-voina-avgust-2008-gruziya-yuzhnaya-osetiya, (Date of Accession: 01.12. 2018).