SRİ LANKA'NIN HİNT-PASİFİK'TEKİ STRATEJİK VE JEOPOLİTİK KONUMUNUN YENİDEN ŞEKİLLENMESİ: KUŞAK VE YOL GİRİŞİMİ'NİN ROLÜ

Öz

Çin tarafından 2013 yılında başlatılan ve katılımcı ülkeler için ekonomik kalkınma fırsatları sunan Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi, bölgesel olarak jeopolitik dengeleri dönüştüren küresel ölçekli bir girişimdir. Başlangıçta ekonomik büyümeye yönelik bir girişim olarak değerlendirilse de Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi'nin etkileri yalnızca ekonomik alanla sınırlı kalmamış; bölgesel jeopolitik dengeleri ve uluslararası ilişkileri şekillendirerek özellikle Hint-Pasifik bölgesindeki küçük devletler üzerinde çeşitli sonuçlar doğurmuştur. Hint Okyanusu'ndaki stratejik konumuyla Sri Lanka, Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi çerçevesinde Çin ile kapsamlı ekonomik iş birlikleri geliştirmiştir. Bu bağlamda bu çalışmada, Sri Lanka'nın Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi'ne katılımının ekonomik, stratejik ve siyasi etkileri incelenmiş ve "Sri Lanka'nın Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi'ne katılımı, Hint-Pasifik bölgesindeki stratejik ve jeopolitik konumunu nasıl etkilemiştir?" araştırma sorusuna yanıt aranmıştır. Bu çalışma, betimsel nitelikteki tekil bir vaka analizi olup, Çin'in Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi kapsamında Sri Lanka'daki etkilerini çok boyutlu olarak incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmadaki kaynaklar, ikincil kaynak analizi yoluyla incelenmiştir. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular, Sri Lanka'nın Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi sayesinde altyapısını modern hale getirerek küresel ticaret ağlarına entegrasyonunu artırdığını göstermektedir. Ancak bu kazanımlar, Sri Lanka'nın dış borç yükünün artmasına ve ülkenin ekonomik bağımsızlığı üzerinde baskılar oluşmasına neden olmuştur. Ayrıca, Sri Lanka'nın Çin ile artan ekonomik iş birliği, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri ve Hindistan gibi Hint-Pasifik'teki aktörlerin kaygılarını artırmış, bu da Sri Lanka’nın büyük güçler arasında hassas bir denge politikası yürütme zorunluluğunu beraberinde getirmiştir. Sonuç olarak, Sri Lanka'nın Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi'ne katılımı Sri Lanka için ekonomik kalkınma açısından fırsatlar sunarken, aynı zamanda borç bağımlılığı, jeopolitik baskılar ve egemenlik kaygıları gibi riskleri de içermektedir. Bu çalışma, Sri Lanka'nın büyük güçler arasındaki konumunu değerlendirmekte ve küçük devletlerin jeopolitik rekabet içerisindeki stratejik hareketlerini anlamaya yönelik daha geniş kapsamlı araştırmalara zemin hazırlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi
• Sri Lanka
• Çin
• Hint-Pasifik Bölgesi
• Jeopolitik Rekabet

THE STRATEGIC AND GEOPOLITICAL REPOSITIONING OF SRI LANKA WITHIN THE INDO-PACIFIC: THE ROLE OF THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE

Öz

China introduced the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013 as a global-scale project aimed at promoting economic development in participating countries. At the same time, the Belt and Road Initiative has significantly reshaped regional geopolitical dynamics. Even though the Belt and Road Initiative was first presented as a policy for economic growth, its effects have gone beyond the economy and influenced not only foreign relations of countries but also regional power dynamics for the small states in the Indo-Pacific area. With its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has established economic ties with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. In this context, this article examines the economic, strategic, and political implications of the Belt and Road Initiative in Sri Lankan politics. The study also seeks to answer the research question: "How has Sri Lanka’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative affected its strategic and geopolitical position in the Indo-Pacific region?". In this study, a case study approach has been used as a qualitative methodology. Overall, these findings indicate that Sri Lanka has modernized its infrastructure and integrated into global trade networks through the Belt and Road Initiative. However, the advantages of the Belt and Road Initiative have also contributed to a significant rise in Sri Lanka's external debt burden. This has raised concerns about the economic independence of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, Sri Lanka's growing economic ties with China have raised geopolitical concerns among key regional actors, including the United States of America and India. This study assesses Sri Lanka's geostrategic position in the context of power competition and also provides the framework for future research into how small states strategically operate in geopolitical rivalries.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• The Belt and Road Initiative
• Sri Lanka
• China
• Indo-Pacific Region
• Geopolitical Rivalries

Kaynakça

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