Hybrid War and Its Strategic Implications to Turkey

Year 2017, Volume: 11 Issue: 21, 107 - 132, 14.12.2017

Oktay Bingöl

https://doi.org/10.19060/gav.379591

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Discussions on the hybrid threats and hybrid wars have begun to gain interest among the security

communities around the world since 2000s, and exponentially increased after Russian-

Ukraine conflict in 2014. The political and military conflict between Russia and Turkey since

November 2015 has carried the discussion to Turkey. Now it is believed that Turkey is in

fact in a multi-front hybrid war with some of its neighbors but not just Russia. In this article

it is aimed to fully explore hybrid war concept and its strategic implications to Turkey. The

definitions of hybrid threat, hybrid conflict and hybrid war is considered in the first section.

Then Russian hybrid war concept is discussed. Next, features and consequences of hybrid war

are applied to Turkey in order to identify the strategic implications. Finally, recommendations

are made as to a way ahead for Turkish decision makers with respect to fighting hybrid war.

Keywords

War, Hybrid Threat, Hybrid War, Russia, turkey

References

• “A Comprehensive Approach to Crises”, NATO, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/ natolive/topics_51633.htm(16.05.2016) AKYOL Mustafa, “Paranoia and Polarization in Turkey”, The New York Times, 16 April 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/opinion/mustafa-akyolparanoia- and-polarization-in-turkey.html?_r=0 (18.05.2016) ALEXANDER John B., “The Changing Nature of War, the Factors Mediating Future Conflict, and Implications for SOF”, Joint Special Operations University Report 06-1, Hurlburt Field, FL, April 2006. ANDERSSON Jan Joel, “Hybrid operations: lessons from the past”, EUISS, October 2015, http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/Brief_33_Hybrid_ operations.pdf (21.07.2015) “At a glance: Understanding Hyber Threats”, EU Parliament Fact Sheet,http:// www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2015/564355/EPRS_ ATA(2015)56435_EN.pdf(18.05.2016)