ARAP BAHARI SONRASI BİRLEŞİK KRALLIĞIN KÖRFEZ/KÖRFEZ ÜLKELERİ İLE ARTAN İLİŞKİLERİNDEKİ DİNAMİKLERİN NEOREALİST PERSPEKTİFTEN ANALİZ EDİLMESİ

Year 2023, Volume: 19 Issue: 1, 246 - 257, 27.06.2023

Samet Yüce

Abstract

Arap Baharı sonrası Birleşik Krallık, tarihsel bağlarını ve bölgesel dinamikleri kullanarak, bölgedeki gücünü artırmak için Körfez/Körfez ülkelerine yönelik önemli siyasi, ekonomik ve askeri adımlar atmıştır. Bu bağlamda, bölgedeki askeri varlığını güçlendirmek için stratejik davranarak Bahreyn'de bir askeri (deniz) üssü kurmuş ve Umman'daki üssünü de genişletmiştir. Ayrıca Brexit kararının ardından Birleşik Krallık, artan enerji talebini karşılamak, enerji güvenliğini sağlamak ve ekonomik istikrarını korumak için zengin doğal kaynaklara sahip Körfez ülkelerine yönelmiştir. Üstelik, Rusya-Ukrayna savaşı, birçok Avrupa ülkesinin yanı sıra İngiltere'nin de ticari ilişkilerini etkilemiş ve İngiltere'yi Körfez ülkeleriyle giderek artan bir yakınlaşmaya itmiştir. İlginç bir şekilde Birleşik Krallık, Körfez ülkeleriyle güvenlik/askeri ve ticari anlaşmalar yaparken, uzun zamandır süre gelen siyasi görüş ayrılıklarına rağmen İran ile de ilişkilerini geliştirmeye çalışmıştır. Bu anlatılanlar göz önüne alındığında, sırasıyla Arap Baharı, Brexit kararı ve Rusya-Ukrayna savaşı gibi sistemik zorlamalar/uyaranlar, İngiltere'yi kaçınılmaz olarak Körfez ülkeleriyle bağlarını güçlendirmeye zorlamıştır. Bu araştırma, temelde sistemik uyaranların Birleşik Krallık'ın Arap Baharı sonrası Körfez bölgesi/Körfez ülkeleriyle ilişkilerini nasıl etkilediğini Yeni-Gerçekçi teori perspektifinden incelemektedir. Bilhassa, bu çalışmanın Birleşik Krallık ile Körfez/Körfez ülkeleri arasındaki siyasi, ekonomik ve askeri/güvenlik ilişkilerine ışık tutması beklenmektedir.

Keywords

İşbirliği, Körfez Ülkeleri, Enerji Güvenliği, Güç Politikaları, Rekabet, Birleşik Krallık

ANALYSING THE DYNAMICS OF THE UK’S GROWING RELATIONS WITH THE GULF/GULF COUNTRIES IN THE POST-ARAB SPRING FROM THE NEOREALIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

In the post-Arab Spring, the United Kingdom (UK) took significant political, economic, and military steps toward the Gulf/Gulf countries to increase its strength in the region by exploiting its historical ties and regional dynamics. In this context, it strategically established a military (naval) base in Bahrain and extended its base in Oman to strengthen its military presence in the region. Additionally, after the Brexit decision, the UK approached the Gulf countries, which have immense natural resources, to meet the increasing energy demands, provide energy security and maintain its economic stability. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine war affected the trade relations of the UK, as well as many European countries, and pushed the UK growingly for rapprochement with the Gulf countries. Interestingly, while making security/military and commercial agreements with Gulf countries, the UK also tried to improve its relations with Iran despite their long-standing political disagreement, which can be analyzed that the UK desired to increase its influence/strength on both sides of the Gulf. Given this background, the systemic challenges/stimuli such as respectively the Arab Spring, the Brexit decision, and the Russia-Ukraine war inevitably forced the UK to maximize its ties with the Gulf countries. This research mainly examines how the systemic stimuli affected the UK’s relations with the Gulf region/Gulf countries in the post-Arab Spring from the perspective of the neorealist theory. Above all, it is expected to shed light on political, economic, and military/security relations between the UK and the Gulf/Gulf countries.

Keywords

Cooperation, Gulf countries, Energy Security, Power Politics, Rivalry, The United Kingdom

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