THE MIDDLE EAST POLICY OF THE USA DURING OBAMA ERA: DEMOCRATIC RHETORIC AND ACTION DURING THE ARAB SPRING PERIOD

Year 2016, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 68 - 95, 01.12.2016

Mustafa Cüneyt Özşahin

Abstract

This study investigates the US democracy promotion strategy in the Arab Spring. The idea of democracy, as a pillar of American politics, has played an important role in foreign policy making from past to present. As a matter of fact, democracy was also a major element in the political rhetoric of Barack Obama, the forty forth president of the USA. Nevertheless, the gap between Obama’s democracy discourse toward Arab countries and his failure to turn this rhetoric into action was often highlighted. However, the reasons behind Obama’s failed democracy promotion has so far been overlooked. This evaluation focuses on the role of democracy in Obama’s foreign policy toward Arab Spring countries within the framework of decision making theories. Drawing from theories of foreign policy learning and framing in foreign policy decision making process, this study aims to explain the Obama’s policy during Arab Spring centering on Libya, Egypt and Syria cases

Keywords

USA, Obama, Foreign Policy, Decision Making Approach

OBAMA DÖNEMİ ABD’NİN ORTADOĞU POLİTİKASI: ARAP BAHARI SÜRECİNDE DEMOKRATİK SÖYLEM VE EYLEM

Abstract

Bu çalışmada ABD’nin Arap Baharı sürecinde demokrasi teşvik stratejisi analiz edilmektedir. ABD politikasının temel sütunlarından biri olan demokrasi fikri geçmişten bugüne dış politika yapımında belirleyici olmuştur. Nitekim ABD’nin kırk dördüncü başkanı Barack Obama’nın siyasal retoriğinde de demokrasi önemli bir bileşen olarak yerini almıştır. Öte yandan Arap Baharı ülkelerine yönelik Obama’nın ortaya koyduğu demokrasi söylemini eyleme dönüştürmekteki başarısızlığına dikkat çekilmiş, ancak bununla birlikte Obama’nın söz konusu başarısızlığının nedenleri ise göz ardı edilmiştir. Bu değerlendirmede karar verme teorileri çerçevesinde Obama’nın Arap Baharı ülkelerine yönelik dış politikasında demokrasinin rolüne odaklanılmaktadır. Dış politika karar alma sürecinde dış politika öğrenme ve çerçeveleme yaklaşımlarından faydalanılarak bu çalışmada, Libya, Mısır ve Suriye örnekleri merkezinde Obama’nın Arap Baharı sürecinde izlediği politika açıklanmaya çalışılmaktadır

Keywords

ABD, Obama, Dış Politika, Karar Alma yaklaşımı

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