Research Article

THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD

Number: 5 December 31, 2025
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THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD

Abstract

In a world where formal alliances are increasingly questioned and multilateral frameworks show signs of erosion, states are quietly forging new paths to manage insecurity. This article introduces the concept of shadow alliances—informal security arrangements that operate without treaties, institutions, or public oversight. These alliances rely instead on personalized diplomacy, strategic ambiguity, and deniable cooperation. By examining four distinct cases—Turkey–Qatar, Russia–Africa, Israel–Gulf, and the U.S.–India–Japan axis—this study traces how informal partnerships have become functional tools of influence and survival in a fragmented global order. Using a qualitative comparative method and drawing from theories of hedging, networked security, and neoclassical realism, the article maps the structural and normative features of these alliances. The findings show that shadow alliances are not temporary fixes but long-term strategies that reflect both systemic pressures and regime-specific needs. While they offer flexibility and responsiveness, they also raise critical concerns: the erosion of accountability, the role of private military actors, and the decline of institutional norms in global security governance. The article calls for a renewed scholarly conversation around alliance theory, one that accounts for the rise of informal cooperation in the gray zones of world politics. It also proposes policy frameworks to address the legal and ethical gaps shadow alliances leave behind.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Funding Statement: The author received no financial support from any institution or funding agency for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Project Number

“Bu çalışma herhangi bir kurum/kuruluş tarafından desteklenmemiştir; proje numarası bulunmamaktadır.”

Ethical Statement

Ethics Statement: This study did not involve any experiments with human participants or animals. All analyses were based on publicly available secondary data and academic literature. Therefore, approval by an ethics committee was not required. Conflict of Interest Statement: The author declares no conflict of interest related to this study.

Thanks

Not applicable”

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Security Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

December 31, 2025

Submission Date

September 19, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 14, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: 5

APA
Onay, Y. (2025). THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD. Güvenlik Ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi, 5, 82-107. https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR
AMA
1.Onay Y. THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD. Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi. 2025;(5):82-107. https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR
Chicago
Onay, Yaşar. 2025. “THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD”. Güvenlik Ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi, nos. 5: 82-107. https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR.
EndNote
Onay Y (December 1, 2025) THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD. Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi 5 82–107.
IEEE
[1]Y. Onay, “THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD”, Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi, no. 5, pp. 82–107, Dec. 2025, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR
ISNAD
Onay, Yaşar. “THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD”. Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi. 5 (December 1, 2025): 82-107. https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR.
JAMA
1.Onay Y. THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD. Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi. 2025;:82–107.
MLA
Onay, Yaşar. “THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD”. Güvenlik Ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi, no. 5, Dec. 2025, pp. 82-107, https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR.
Vancouver
1.Yaşar Onay. THE RISE OF SHADOW ALLIANCES: INFORMAL SECURITY COOPERATION IN A POST-ALLIANCE WORLD. Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 1;(5):82-107. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA75YW75WR