INTERNATIONAL LAW AND POLITICS: AN ANALYSIS OF MARTTI KOSKENNIEMI’S ARTICLE

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 45 - 53, 27.01.2025

Zeynep Erhan Bulut

Abstract

This paper critically reviews The Politics of International Law by Martti Koskenniemi, a seminal work that examines the liberal concept of the Rule of Law through a critical lens. Koskenniemi highlights the inherent tensions between normativity and concreteness in international law, as well as the interplay between rule-based and policy-based approaches. While his analysis offers significant insights into the political nature of international law and its dependence on state sovereignty, his arguments are marked by ambiguity and a lack of definitive conclusions. This paper summarises Koskenniemi’s key arguments, including his critique of liberalism, the indeterminacy of international legal argumentation, and the role of international lawyers in navigating the relationship between law and politics. The discussion evaluates these ideas from multiple perspectives, incorporating views from critical legal theory and legal realism. Although Koskenniemi raises important questions about sovereignty, sources of law, and the objectivity of international legal norms, his work is critiqued for its circular reasoning and lack of clarity. This review concludes that Koskenniemi’s contribution lies in his nuanced critique of the liberal foundations of international law, even as his failure to resolve key dilemmas leaves room for further scholarly debate. The aim of this paper is to review The Politics of International Law by outlining a straightforward framework, without engaging in a deep academic discussion.

Keywords

Martti Koskenniemi, Politics of International Law, Rule of Law, Liberalism, Normativity, Concreteness.

ULUSLARARASI HUKUK VE POLİTİKA: MARTTI KOSKENNIEMI’NİN MAKALESİ ÜZERİNE İNCELEME

Abstract

Bu makale, Martti Koskenniemi'nin “The Politics of International Law” başlıklı eserini eleştirel bir şekilde incelemektedir. Koskenniemi, hukuk devletine dair liberal kavramı eleştirel bir bakış açısıyla değerlendirirken, uluslararası hukukun normatiflik ve somutluk arasındaki gerilimlerine ve kural temelli ile politika temelli yaklaşımlar arasındaki ilişkilere dikkat çekmektedir. Analizi, uluslararası hukukun politik doğasını ve devlet egemenliğine olan bağımlılığını vurgularken, belirsizlikler ve kesin sonuçlardan yoksun bir argümantasyonla dikkat çekmektedir. Bu makale, Koskenniemi’nin temel argümanlarını özetlemekte; liberalizm eleştirisi, uluslararası hukukun belirsizliği ve uluslararası hukukçuların hukuk ile siyaset arasındaki ilişkiyi yönlendirme rolü gibi konuları ele almaktadır. Tartışma, bu fikirleri eleştirel hukuk teorisi ve hukuki realizm perspektiflerinden değerlendirirken, Koskenniemi’nin egemenlik, hukukun kaynakları ve uluslararası hukuki normların nesnelliği üzerine düşüncelerini incelemektedir. Koskenniemi’nin, uluslararası hukukun liberal temellerine yönelik derinlemesine eleştirisi önemli bir katkı sağlasa da temel ikilemleri çözmedeki başarısızlığı daha fazla akademik tartışmaya alan bırakmaktadır. Bu değerlendirme, Koskenniemi’nin katkısının, uluslararası hukukun liberal temellerine yönelik incelikli eleştirisinde yattığı, ancak temel sorulara net yanıtlar verememesi nedeniyle tartışmaya açık bir eser sunduğu sonucuna varmaktadır. Bu makalenin amacı, derin bir akademik tartışmaya girmeksizin, Koskenniemi'nin “The Politics of International Law” başlıklı eserini basit bir çerçeve ile gözden geçirmektir.

Keywords

Martti Koskenniemi, Uluslararası Hukukun Politikası, Hukukun Üstünlüğü, Liberalizm, Normatiflik, Somutluk.

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