HYBRID WARFARE: THE ANATOMY OF A CONTESTED CONCEPT

Year 2024, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 109 - 132, 26.12.2024

Tarık Solmaz

Abstract

Hybrid warfare has become one of the most discussed forms of threat in recent times. However, there are many different definitions of hybrid warfare. This situation makes the concept of hybrid warfare difficult to understand and all-encompassing. The fact that a concept embedded in the security terminology of states is so ambiguous creates serious problems in the formulation and implementation of defense policies. The primary aim of the article is to present the different forms of conflict labeled as hybrid warfare and to reveal what is generally meant by hybrid warfare today. The main argument of the article is that hybrid warfare has constantly been subjected to “conceptual stretching” and is nowadays generally understood as a method of achieving political objectives by combining military and non-military instruments, while remaining below the threshold of conventional warfare. In the Turkish literature, there are almost no studies on the historical evolution of the concept of hybrid warfare. Therefore, it is hoped that the article will provide original contributions to the literature on hybrid warfare.

Keywords

Hybrid Warfare, Hybrid Threat, Conceptual Stretching, Security Terminology, NATO

HİBRİT SAVAŞ: TARTIŞMALI BİR KAVRAMIN ANATOMİSİ

Abstract

Hibrit savaş, son dönemde en çok tartışılan tehdit biçimlerinden biri haline gelmiştir. Ancak, hibrit savaşın birbirinden farklı birçok tanımı bulunmaktadır. Bu durum, hibrit savaş kavramını anlaşılması güç ve her şeyi kapsayan bir yapıya büründürmektedir. Devletlerin güvenlik terminolojisinde yer etmiş bir kavramın bu denli muğlak olması savunma politikalarının oluşturulması ve uygulanması açısından ciddi sorunlar yaratmaktadır. Bu makale, hibrit savaş kavramının ortaya çıkışını ve tarihsel süreçte geçirdiği evrimi analiz etmektedir. Makalenin temel amacı, hibrit savaş olarak nitelenen farklı çatışma biçimlerini sergilemek ve günümüzde hibrit savaş denildiğinde ağırlıklı olarak neyin kastedildiğini açığa çıkarmaktır. Makalenin ana argümanı, hibrit savaşın sürekli olarak “kavramsal esneme”ye maruz kaldığı ve günümüzde genellikle konvansiyonel savaş eşiğinin altında kalarak, askeri ve askeri olmayan enstrümanların bir kombinasyonuyla siyasi hedeflere ulaşma yöntemi olarak anlaşıldığıdır. Bu makalede bir durumu saptamayı amaçlayan; ele alınan olguya ve/veya kavrama ilişkin temel niteliklerin açıklığa kavuşturulduğu betimleyici araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Makale, hibrit savaşa dair derinlemesine bir literatür taraması üzerine inşa edilmiştir. Türkçe literatürde, hibrit savaş kavramının tarihsel evrimine dair akademik çalışmalar yok denecek kadar azdır. Bu nedenle, makalenin hibrit savaş literatürüne özgün katkılar sağlayacağı umulmaktadır.

Keywords

Hibrit Savaş, Hibrit Tehdit, Kavramsal Esneme, Güvenlik Terminolojisi, NATO

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