Weathering the Storm: Syrian Foreign Policy Under Bashar Al-Assad in Times Of Crises

Abstract

This article analyzes foreign policy behaviors of Syria under Bashar al-Assad in times of three crises: the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005 and the outbreak of Arab Spring in 2011. These three crises, which Bashar al-Assad has faced since he rose to power in 2000, have stemmed from international, regional, domestic environments respectively. The article posits that the Baath regime’s security and survival concerns rather than external factors have primarily shaped Syrian foreign policy conducts in times of crises. In the article, it is pointed out that Syria as a weak state has been able to survive these crises that seriously threatened the very existence of the Baath regime thanks to its foreign policy strategies. In this context, the article underlines that President Assad’s alignment policy helped Syria as a weak state survive despite domestic and external threats.

Keywords

• Syria
• Bashar al-Assad
• Arab Spring
• Lebanon Crisis
• Iraq War

Fırtınayı Atlatmak: Kriz Zamanlarında Beşar Esad Yönetiminde Suriye Dış Politikası

Abstract

Bu makale, Beşar Esad yönetiminde Suriye’nin karşılaştığı üç kriz dönemindeki dış politika davranışlarını analiz etmektedir: ABD’nin 2003 Irak işgali, Suriye’nin 2005’te Lübnan’dan çekilmesi ve 2011’de Arap Baharının patlak vermesi. Beşar Esad’ın 2000 yılında iktidara gelmesinin ardından karşı karşıya kaldığı bu üç kriz sırasıyla uluslararası, bölgesel ve iç ortamlardan kaynaklanmaktadır. Makale, kriz zamanlarında Suriye’nin dış politika eylemlerini dış faktörlerden ziyade öncelikli olarak Baas rejiminin güvenlik ve beka kaygılarının şekillendirdiğini öne sürmektedir. Makalede, Baas rejiminin varlığını ciddi anlamda tehdit eden bu krizlere rağmen Suriye’nin zayıf bir devlet olarak dış politika stratejileri sayesinde ayakta kalabildiğine işaret edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, makale Esad’ın ittifak siyasetinin Suriye’nin zayıf bir devlet olarak iç ve dış tehditlere karşı ayakta kalmasına yardım ettiğinin altını çizmektedir.

Keywords

• Suriye
• Beşar Esad
• Arap Baharı
• Lübnan Krizi
• Irak Savaşı

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