Afghanistan’s Natural Resource Wealth And Geopolitical Power Struggle

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 19 - 32, 24.06.2023

Kenan Aslanlı

Abstract

The article analyzes minerals, rare-earth elements, petroleum, and natural gas reserves of Afghanistan and the geopolitical struggle over these natural resources in relation with domestic political and institutional factors. Following the Taliban’s military and political takeover of Afghanistan once again in 2021, the country’s natural resource wealth and its fate have been brought to the international agenda, again. In one hand, the Taliban took control of the vast and geopolitically important economic resources; on the other hand, the access of some world powers such as Russia and China to Afghanistan’s natural resources and the geopolitical power struggle has been discussed.

Keywords

Afghanistan, natural resources, rare-earth elements, geopolitical struggle, China

Afganistan’ın Doğal Kaynak Zenginlikleri Ve Jeopolitik Güç Mücadelesi

Abstract

Makalede Afganistan’ın mineral, nadir toprak elementi, petrol ve doğal gaz kaynakları ve bu kaynaklar uğruna yapılan bölgesel jeopolitik güç mücadelesi ülkenin iç siyasi ve kurumsal etkenleri ile etkileşimli analiz edilmektedir. Taliban’ın 2021 yılında ülkenin neredeyse tümünde siyasi ve askerî olarak kontrolü yeniden elde etmesinden sonra Afganistan’ın doğal kaynak zenginlikleri ve onların akıbeti yeniden dünya basınının gündemine düşmüştür. Bir taraftan Taliban’ın kontrolü altına büyük ve jeopolitik açıdan önemli ekonomik kaynaklar geçmiş, diğer taraftan ise Taliban üzerinden Çin, Rusya ve diğer bazı güçlerin bu ülkenin doğal kaynaklarına erişimi ve yeni jeopolitik güç mücadelesi söz konusu olmuştur.

Keywords

Afganistan, doğal kaynaklar, nadir toprak elementleri, jeopolitik mücadele, Çin

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