Political Economy of Arab Uprisings

Year 2017, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 93 - 117, 30.06.2017

Merve Mesçioğlu Fedai

Abstract

During the transition from 2010 to 2011, social movements started to be a common occurrence within the Arab public sphere ranging from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf. The said movements were coined with many names such as Arab Spring, Arab Uprisings and Arab Revolutions. Although neither of these names are sufficient enough to explain the process, it is possible to state that the year 2011 triggered one of the most important transformation periods in the history of modern Middle East. In this context, this article titled ‘Political-Economy of the Arab Uprisings’ will present a political-economic review of these uprisings. To read the Arab Uprisings only from a democracy demand perspective without making a class analysis, will prevent us from reaching the main answer of Muhammed Bouazizi's self-immolation or why Dera was the starting point of the uprising in Syria. The study aims to understand and explain the events through a long term examination based on this justification. The Arab Uprisings of 2011 were not spontaneous events. It has its roots and future consequences. By withdrawing from the narrow perspective of sectarian-essentialist entrapment, the expression of class hierarchies and exclusion which still persists in the Middle East after the Arab Uprisings will ensure the understanding of the structures that the “New Middle East” has inherited.

Keywords

Middle East, Arab Uprisings, Political-economic, Liberalization, Neoliberalism, Financial crisis

Arap Ayaklanmalarının Ekonomi Politiği

Abstract

2010’dan 2011 yılına geçilirken toplumsal hareketler Atlantik Okyanusu’ndan İran Körfezi’ne uzanan Arap kamusal alanında kendisini yaygın bir şekilde göstermeye başladı. Söz konusu hareketler Arap Baharı, Arap Uyanışı, Arap Ayaklanmaları ve Arap Devrimi gibi pek çok isim ile kendisine yer buldu. Bu isimlerden herhangi birisi süreci anlatmak için yeterli olmasa da 2011 yılının modern Ortadoğu tarihindeki önemli dönüşüm süreçlerinden birini tetiklediğini söylemek mümkündür. Bu bağlamda, ‘Arap Ayaklanmalarının Politik-Ekonomisi’ başlıklı bu çalışma, ayaklanmaların politik-ekonomik bir incelemesini sunacaktır. Arap Ayaklanmaları’nın sınıfsal bir analizi yapılmadan sadece demokrasi talebi çerçevesinde okunması, sürecin gerçek sebebinin ve Muhammed Bouazizi’nin niçin kendini yaktığının ya da Suriye’de ayaklanmaların niçin Dera’da başladığının asıl cevabına ulaşmamızı engeller. Yapılan bu temellendirme üzerine, çalışma uzun dönemli bir inceleme ile olayları anlamaya ve açıklamaya çalışacaktır. Arap Ayaklanmaları 2011’de başlayan anlık olaylar değildir. Kökleri ve geleceğe yansıyan sonuçları vardır. Mezhepsel-özcü sıkışmışlığın dar merceğinden uzaklaşarak Arap Ayaklanmaları sonrası Ortadoğu’da hala varlığını sürdüren sınıfsal hiyerarşiler ve dışlamaların anlatılması “Yeni Ortadoğu”ya miras kalan yapıları anlamayı sağlayacaktır.

Keywords

Ortadoğu, Arap Ayaklanmaları, Politik ekonomi, Liberalleşme, Neoliberalizm, Finansal kriz

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