Syria Under al-Assad Rule: A Case of Neopatrimonial Regime

Year 2018, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 140 - 170, 01.12.2018

Bilal Salaymeh

Abstract

This paper aims to conceptualize the Syrian regime underthe rule of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad as aneopatrimonial regime. The paper claims that the neopatrimonial domination of the Assad regime bases on threepillars; the personalization of the regime, the patronagenetworks and the clientelism. Under the subtitle of personalization the Syrian regime, the paper tries to lay downthe historical process and mechanisms used to personalized the regime under Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, throughusing the personal clique and the imposed personal cult.Following, the paper figures out the dual patronage networks that the Assad regime has utilized to consolidate hispersonal domination through penetrate the bureaucraticrealm and the society; the Alawite patronage and the BaathParty patronage. In the same context, the paper evaluatesthe clientelism as another mechanism functions in thepatrimonial penetration processes, mainly in the economicdomain, and the changes that took place in this regardunder Bashar al-Assad’s rule

Keywords

Assad Regime, Neopatrimonialism, Political Cult, Patronage Relations, Clientalism

NEOPATRİMONYAL BİR REJİM ÖRNEĞİ: ESED YÖNETİMİNDEKİ SURİYE

Abstract

Bu makale, Hafez ve Başar Esed yönetimindeki Suriye rejimini 1970-2011 neopatrimonyal bir rejim olarak kavramlaştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Makale, Esad rejiminin neopatrimonyal egemenliğinin üç sütün üzerine kurulu olduğunu iddia ediyor; rejimin kişiselleştirilmesi, patronaj ağları ve klientalizm. Esed yönetiminin kişiselleştirilmesi alt başlığı altında makale, Hafez ve Başar Esed’in yönetimi sürecince, kişisel klik ve empoze edilen kişisel kült üzerinden rejimin kişiselleştirilmesinin tarihi sürecini ve kullanılan mekanizmaları incelemeye çalışmaktadır. Bundan sonra makale, Esed rejiminin bürokratik ve toplumsal alanlarına nüfuz ederek tahakkümünü sağlamlaştırmak için başvurduğu ikili patronaj ağları ortaya koymakta; Alevi ve Baas Partisi’nin patronaj ağları. Aynı bağlamda makale, başta ekonomik alanda olmak üzere, patrimonyal tahakkümü ve nüfuz etme süreci için kullanılan klientalism mekanizelerini ve bu mekanizmalarının Başar Esed’in yönetiminde geçirdiği değişikleri değerlendirmektedir.

Keywords

Esed rejimi, Neopatrimonyalizm, Siyasi Kült, Patronaj İlişkileri, Klientalism

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