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The Responsibility to Protect Policy of Turkey during the Syrian Crisis (2011-2015)

Year 2019, Volume: 11 Issue: 21, 155 - 199, 25.11.2019
https://doi.org/10.35705/bs.751771

Abstract

The Syrian civil war, which has been going on for more than eight years, gave rise to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis within both Syria and be- yond. The human tragedy that unfolded is a stark reminder of the unfulfilled responsibilities of the international community as embodied in the principle of the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP). RtoP, involving both prevention and coercive tools, impose different kinds of obligations on different actors of the international community. Among state actors of the international community, close neighbours are critical players in the sense that they are the ones that are likely to be the most negatively affected by the conflict beyond their borders and thus are expected to have the greatest will, if not always the capacity, to effect the course of events. This paper seeks to examine how RtoP found expression in the foreign policy of Turkey that shares its longest border with Syria. Together with other neighbouring countries that host millions of refu- gees, Turkey, which also experienced serious security problems in its borders, stood as one of the most affected countries by this crisis and kept RtoP on its agenda both for instrumental and normative reasons for a long time. The aim of this study is to examine how RtoP in general and its preventive and coer- cive pillars in particular came to be understood and what concrete steps were taken to breathe life into them by the officials in Ankara. In pursuit of this aim, the policies from the beginning of the crisis (2011) till the period when national security discourse gained priority over protection discourse (2015) are analysed through official rhetoric and practices.

References

  • Achiume, E. Tendayi. “Syria, Cost-sharing, and the Responsibility to Protect Refugees.” Minnesota Law Review 100, No. 2 (2015): 687-761.
  • Altunışık, Meliha Benli and Özlem Tür. “From Distant Neighbors to Partners? Changing Syrian–Turkish Relations.” Security Dialogue 37, Issue 2 (2006): 229-248.
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  • Ayhan, Veysel. “Davutoğlu-Esad Görüşmesi: Gerginlikten Çatışmaya.” Au- gust 10, 2011, https://orsam.org.tr/tr/davutoglu-esad-gorusmesi-sonrasi- gerginlikten-catismaya/ (22.03.2019)
  • “Barack Obama’s personal pledge to aid Syria rebels.” The Telegraph. March 25, 2012. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syr- ia/9165813/Barack-Obamas-personal-pledge-to-aid-Syria-rebels.html (2 July 2017).
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  • Basın Yayın Enformasyon Genel Müdürlüğü. “Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanı Başdanışmanı: Bölgede Dış Müdahaleleri İstemiyoruz.” June 29, 2011. http:// www.byegm.gov.tr/turkce/haber/trkye-cumhurbakani-badanimani-blgede-di- mdahaleler-stemyoruz/8377 (15.06.2016).
  • Bellamy, Alex J. “When states go bad: The termination of state perpetrated mass killing.” Journal of Peace Research 52, No. 5 (2015): 565-576.
  • Black, Ian. “Turkish president says Syrian crisis at a ‘dead end’ and change is inevitable.” The Guardian. November 21, 2011. https://www.theguardian. com/world/2011/nov/21/turkish-president-syria-abdullah-gul (27 May 2017)
  • Black, Ian. “Will chemical weapons in Syria be the ‘red line’ Barack Obama promised?” The Guardian. April 23, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2013/apr/23/chemical-weapons-red-line-obama (25 August 2017).
  • Borger, Julian. “Hague says UK could arm Syrian rebels if situation worsens.” The Guardian. March 3, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/ mar/03/hague-aid-syria-rebels-weapons (06.03.2019).
  • Carnegie Middle East Center, “The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution- ary and Opposition Forces,” January 11, 2013, http://carnegieendowment.org/ syriaincrisis/?fa=50628&lang=en (14.04.2016).
  • “Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan’ın İlk Röportajı.” Al Jazeera Türk. August 30, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/cumhurbaskani-erdoganin-ilk-ropor- taji (22.04.2016).
  • Çavuşoğlu, Mevlüt. “Turkey and the Syrian Refugee Crisis: An Example for Humanity.” Turkish Policy Quarterly 15, No. 3, 2016: 17-24. http://turkish- policy.com/files/articlepdf/turkey-and-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-an-example- for-humanity_en_7296.pdf (16.02.2019).
  • “Daraa: The spark that lit the Syrian flame.” CNN. March 01, 2012. http://edi- tion.cnn.com/2012/03/01/world/meast/syria-crisis-beginnings/ (05.03.2017).
  • “Davutoğlu BBC’de: Türkiye Mısır’a Benzemez.” BBC Türkçe. August 23, 2013. http://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler/2013/08/130823_newsnight_da- vutoglu (24.07.2017).
  • “Davutoğlu: Halep’ten kaçan 60-70 bin kişi sınıra yürüyor.” BBC News Türkçe. February 4, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler/2016/02/160204_su- riye_halep_turkiye (05.03.2019).
  • Demirtaş, Birgül. “Turkish-Syrian Relations: From Friend “Esad” to Enemy “Esed”.” Middle East Policy 20, Issue 1 (2013): 111-120.
  • Duarte, Francisco de Abreu. “Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Missed Opportunity.” e-Pública 3, No. 2 (2016): 64-83, www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/epub/v3n2/v3n2a03.pdf.
  • Elitok, Seçil Paçacı. “A step backward for Turkey? The Readmission Agree- ment and the hope of visa-free Europe.” IPC-Mercator Policy Brief (Decem- ber 2015): 1-7.
  • “Erdoğan: “Sınırlı operasyon bizi tatmin etmez”.” CNN Türk. August 30, 2013. http://www.cnnturk.com/2013/turkiye/08/30/erdogan.sinirli.operasyon. bizi.tatmin.etmez/721548.0/index.html (23.04.2016).
  • “EU ministers urge restraint from Turkey.” MWC News. June 25 June 2012. http://www.mwcnews.net/home/archived/19787-eu-ministers.html (2 July 2017).
  • “Europe must share refugee burden with Turkey: UNHCR chief.” Reuters. March 7, 2016. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-un- idUSKCN0W9276 (16.02.2019).
  • European Council, “EU-Turkey statement,” March 18, 2016, https://www. consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/03/18/eu-turkey-statement/ (15.02.2019).
  • Evans, Gareth and Mohamed Sahnoun. “The Responsibility to Protect.” For- eign Affairs 81, No. 6, 2002: 99-110. “Exclusive Interview with Recep Tayyip Erdogan.” CNN. September 7, 2012. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/07/ampr.01.html (16.02.2019).
  • “Gaziantep’ten Halep’e hızlı tren hattı.” NTV. February 6, 2011. http://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/gaziantepten-halepe-hizli-tren- hatti,AD95z6wmCkC1gzy3yt9jZg (02.07.2016).
  • Goldberg, Jeffrey. “Hillary Clinton: ‘Failure’ to help Syrian rebels led to the rise of ISIS.” The Atlantic. August 10, 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/in- ternational/archive/2014/08/hillary-clinton-failure-to-help-syrian-rebels-led- to-the-rise-of-isis/375832/ (05.03.2019).
  • Grenier, Robert. “The US in Syria: Hiding behind the CIA.” Al- jazeera. August 9, 2012. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opin- ion/2012/08/201288113045172386.html (2 July 2017).
  • Gül, Abdullah. Diplomaside Erdemli Güç: Dış Politika Konuşmaları. Ankara: Cumhurbaşkanlığı Yayınları, 2014.
  • Hinnebusch, Raymond. “State de-construction in Iraq and Syria.” PVS Politiche Vierteljahresschrift 57, No. 4 (2016): 560-585.
  • “How schoolboys began the Syrian revolution.” CBS News. April 26, 2011. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-schoolboys-began-the-syrian-revolution/ (05.03.2017).
  • Human Rights Watch, “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror,” June 1, 2011, https://www.hrw.org/report/2011/06/01/weve-never-seen-such-horror/crimes- against-humanity-syrian-security-forces (12.03.2017).
  • Human Rights Watch, “World Report 2013: Syria,” https://www.hrw.org/ world-report/2013/country-chapters/syria (12.04.2016).
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Türkiye’nin Suriye Krizindeki Koruma Sorumluluğu Politikası (2011-2015)

Year 2019, Volume: 11 Issue: 21, 155 - 199, 25.11.2019
https://doi.org/10.35705/bs.751771

Abstract

Sekiz yılı aşkın bir süredir devam etmekte olan Suriye iç savaşı, Suriye’nin içinde ve ötesinde benzeri olmayan bir insani krize yol açmıştır. Ortaya çıkan insan trajedisi, Koruma Sorumluluğu (KS) prensibinde yer almasına rağmen uluslararası toplumun yerine getirmemiş olduğu sorumlulukları bariz şekilde gözler önüne sermektedir. Hem önleyici hem de zorlayıcı araçları içeren KS, uluslararası toplumun farklı aktörlerine farklı sorumluluklar yüklemektedir. Bu bağlamda uluslararası toplumun devlet aktörleri arasında yakın komşular kritik oyuncular olarak özel yere sahiptir. Şöyle ki, sınırlarının ötesindeki çatışmalardan en fazla negatif olarak etkilenen ve dolayısıyla olayların gidişatını etkilemek için, her zaman gerekli kapasiteye sahip olmasalar da, en çok siyasi irade göstermesi beklenen aktörler yakın komşulardır. Bu çalışma, Suriye ile en uzun sınırını paylaşan Türkiye’nin dış politikasında KS’nin nasıl ifade edildiğini ve hayata geçirildiğini incelemeye çalışmaktadır. Milyonlar- ca göçmene ev sahipliği yapan diğer komşularla birlikte Türkiye, aynı za- manda sınırlarında ciddi güvenlik sorunları yaşamış bir ülke olarak bu kriz- den en çok etkilenen devletlerden biridir ve KS’yi hem araçsal hem de nor- matif sebeplerle gündeminde uzun süre tutmuştur. Bu çalışma genel olarak KS prensibinin ve özelde de önleyici ve zorlayıcı sütunlarının Ankara’daki yetkililer tarafından nasıl anlaşıldığını ve onları hayata geçirmek için hangi somut adımları attıklarını incelemektedir. Bu amaca yönelik olarak, kri- zin başlangıcı olan 2011’den ulusal güvenlik söyleminin koruma söylemine üstünlük sağlamaya başladığı 2015’e kadarki politikalar resmi söylemler ve pratikler üzerinden analiz edilmektedir.

References

  • Achiume, E. Tendayi. “Syria, Cost-sharing, and the Responsibility to Protect Refugees.” Minnesota Law Review 100, No. 2 (2015): 687-761.
  • Altunışık, Meliha Benli and Özlem Tür. “From Distant Neighbors to Partners? Changing Syrian–Turkish Relations.” Security Dialogue 37, Issue 2 (2006): 229-248.
  • Amnesty International, “The EU-Turkey deal: Europe’s year of shame”, March 20, 2017, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/03/the-eu-tur- key-deal-europes-year-of-shame/ (15.02.2019).
  • Aras, Bülent and Hasan Köni. “Turkish-Syrian Relations Revisited.” Arab Studies Quarterly 24, Issue 4 (2002): 47-60.
  • Ayhan, Veysel. “Davutoğlu-Esad Görüşmesi: Gerginlikten Çatışmaya.” Au- gust 10, 2011, https://orsam.org.tr/tr/davutoglu-esad-gorusmesi-sonrasi- gerginlikten-catismaya/ (22.03.2019)
  • “Barack Obama’s personal pledge to aid Syria rebels.” The Telegraph. March 25, 2012. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syr- ia/9165813/Barack-Obamas-personal-pledge-to-aid-Syria-rebels.html (2 July 2017).
  • Basın Yayın Enformasyon Genel Müdürlüğü. “Erdoğan: Esad Sevilen Biri... Daha Açık Bir Mesaj Göndermesini Dilerdim.” April 01, 2011. http://www. byegm.gov.tr/turkce/haber/erdoan-esad-sevlen-br...-daha-aik-br-mesaj-gnder- mesn-dlerdm/7499 (22.04.2016).
  • Basın Yayın Enformasyon Genel Müdürlüğü. “Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanı Başdanışmanı: Bölgede Dış Müdahaleleri İstemiyoruz.” June 29, 2011. http:// www.byegm.gov.tr/turkce/haber/trkye-cumhurbakani-badanimani-blgede-di- mdahaleler-stemyoruz/8377 (15.06.2016).
  • Bellamy, Alex J. “When states go bad: The termination of state perpetrated mass killing.” Journal of Peace Research 52, No. 5 (2015): 565-576.
  • Black, Ian. “Turkish president says Syrian crisis at a ‘dead end’ and change is inevitable.” The Guardian. November 21, 2011. https://www.theguardian. com/world/2011/nov/21/turkish-president-syria-abdullah-gul (27 May 2017)
  • Black, Ian. “Will chemical weapons in Syria be the ‘red line’ Barack Obama promised?” The Guardian. April 23, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2013/apr/23/chemical-weapons-red-line-obama (25 August 2017).
  • Borger, Julian. “Hague says UK could arm Syrian rebels if situation worsens.” The Guardian. March 3, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/ mar/03/hague-aid-syria-rebels-weapons (06.03.2019).
  • Carnegie Middle East Center, “The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution- ary and Opposition Forces,” January 11, 2013, http://carnegieendowment.org/ syriaincrisis/?fa=50628&lang=en (14.04.2016).
  • “Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan’ın İlk Röportajı.” Al Jazeera Türk. August 30, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/cumhurbaskani-erdoganin-ilk-ropor- taji (22.04.2016).
  • Çavuşoğlu, Mevlüt. “Turkey and the Syrian Refugee Crisis: An Example for Humanity.” Turkish Policy Quarterly 15, No. 3, 2016: 17-24. http://turkish- policy.com/files/articlepdf/turkey-and-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-an-example- for-humanity_en_7296.pdf (16.02.2019).
  • “Daraa: The spark that lit the Syrian flame.” CNN. March 01, 2012. http://edi- tion.cnn.com/2012/03/01/world/meast/syria-crisis-beginnings/ (05.03.2017).
  • “Davutoğlu BBC’de: Türkiye Mısır’a Benzemez.” BBC Türkçe. August 23, 2013. http://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler/2013/08/130823_newsnight_da- vutoglu (24.07.2017).
  • “Davutoğlu: Halep’ten kaçan 60-70 bin kişi sınıra yürüyor.” BBC News Türkçe. February 4, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler/2016/02/160204_su- riye_halep_turkiye (05.03.2019).
  • Demirtaş, Birgül. “Turkish-Syrian Relations: From Friend “Esad” to Enemy “Esed”.” Middle East Policy 20, Issue 1 (2013): 111-120.
  • Duarte, Francisco de Abreu. “Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Missed Opportunity.” e-Pública 3, No. 2 (2016): 64-83, www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/epub/v3n2/v3n2a03.pdf.
  • Elitok, Seçil Paçacı. “A step backward for Turkey? The Readmission Agree- ment and the hope of visa-free Europe.” IPC-Mercator Policy Brief (Decem- ber 2015): 1-7.
  • “Erdoğan: “Sınırlı operasyon bizi tatmin etmez”.” CNN Türk. August 30, 2013. http://www.cnnturk.com/2013/turkiye/08/30/erdogan.sinirli.operasyon. bizi.tatmin.etmez/721548.0/index.html (23.04.2016).
  • “EU ministers urge restraint from Turkey.” MWC News. June 25 June 2012. http://www.mwcnews.net/home/archived/19787-eu-ministers.html (2 July 2017).
  • “Europe must share refugee burden with Turkey: UNHCR chief.” Reuters. March 7, 2016. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-un- idUSKCN0W9276 (16.02.2019).
  • European Council, “EU-Turkey statement,” March 18, 2016, https://www. consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/03/18/eu-turkey-statement/ (15.02.2019).
  • Evans, Gareth and Mohamed Sahnoun. “The Responsibility to Protect.” For- eign Affairs 81, No. 6, 2002: 99-110. “Exclusive Interview with Recep Tayyip Erdogan.” CNN. September 7, 2012. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/07/ampr.01.html (16.02.2019).
  • “Gaziantep’ten Halep’e hızlı tren hattı.” NTV. February 6, 2011. http://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/gaziantepten-halepe-hizli-tren- hatti,AD95z6wmCkC1gzy3yt9jZg (02.07.2016).
  • Goldberg, Jeffrey. “Hillary Clinton: ‘Failure’ to help Syrian rebels led to the rise of ISIS.” The Atlantic. August 10, 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/in- ternational/archive/2014/08/hillary-clinton-failure-to-help-syrian-rebels-led- to-the-rise-of-isis/375832/ (05.03.2019).
  • Grenier, Robert. “The US in Syria: Hiding behind the CIA.” Al- jazeera. August 9, 2012. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opin- ion/2012/08/201288113045172386.html (2 July 2017).
  • Gül, Abdullah. Diplomaside Erdemli Güç: Dış Politika Konuşmaları. Ankara: Cumhurbaşkanlığı Yayınları, 2014.
  • Hinnebusch, Raymond. “State de-construction in Iraq and Syria.” PVS Politiche Vierteljahresschrift 57, No. 4 (2016): 560-585.
  • “How schoolboys began the Syrian revolution.” CBS News. April 26, 2011. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-schoolboys-began-the-syrian-revolution/ (05.03.2017).
  • Human Rights Watch, “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror,” June 1, 2011, https://www.hrw.org/report/2011/06/01/weve-never-seen-such-horror/crimes- against-humanity-syrian-security-forces (12.03.2017).
  • Human Rights Watch, “World Report 2013: Syria,” https://www.hrw.org/ world-report/2013/country-chapters/syria (12.04.2016).
  • Human Rights Watch, “Syria: Events of 2018,” https://www.hrw.org/world- report/2019/country-chapters/syria (8 February 2019).
There are 35 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Relations
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Sevilay Zehra Aksoy This is me

Seray Kılıç This is me

Publication Date November 25, 2019
Submission Date December 25, 2018
Published in Issue Year 2019 Volume: 11 Issue: 21

Cite

APA Aksoy, S. Z., & Kılıç, S. (2019). The Responsibility to Protect Policy of Turkey during the Syrian Crisis (2011-2015). Bilge Strateji, 11(21), 155-199. https://doi.org/10.35705/bs.751771