De Facto Devletlerde Demokrasi: Abhazya ve Kosova’nın Karşılaştırmalı Bir Analizi

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2, 78 - 94, 31.12.2025

İbrahim Rıfat Ayhan

https://doi.org/10.62425/jirs.1795980

Öz

Bu makale, de facto devletlerde demokrasi ve demokratikleşmeyi Abhazya ve Kosova örnekleri üzerinden karşılaştırmalı olarak incelemektedir. De facto devletler, temel olarak 1945 sonrası süreçte ortaya çıkmış ve özellikle 1990’larda Sovyetler Birliği’nin dağılması sürecinde yaygınlık kazanmıştır. De facto devletlerin uluslararası meşruiyet sorunları onların demokrasi ile olan ilişkisinin özellikle son yıllarda hem uluslararası kamuoyunda hem de akademik literatürde ilgi görmesine neden olmuştur. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışma, de facto devletlerde demokrasi ile ilişkili olarak akademik literatürde hami devletin rolü, etnik bölünmüşlük ve çatışma ile tanınma ve tanınma stratejileri ekseninde şekillenen üç temel soruya yanıt aramaktadır. Bu amaçla, çalışma, Abhazya ve Kosova üzerine Freedom House veri ve raporlarından ve ayrıca yabancı haber sitelerinden yararlanarak karma metodolojiye dayalı karşılaştırmalı bir analiz yapmaktadır. Sonuçta, çalışma, de facto devletlerin hem tanınma hem de demokratikleşmelerinde tek olmasa da en önemli faktörün hami devlet olduğu sonucuna ulaşmıştır. Abhazya ve Kosova arasındaki demokrasi farkı çok büyük oranda hami devletlerin farkında ortaya çıkmaktadır. Abhazya ve Kosova örneklerinin gösterdiği üzere, de facto devletlerde içsel düzeyde demokratikleşme önündeki en büyük engel ise etnik ayrılıklar ve çatışmadır. Öte yandan, literatürde yer alan de facto devletlerin “tanınma için demokrasi” stratejisi izlediği iddiası Kosova için doğru olmakla beraber Abhazya için değildir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

De Facto Devletler , Demokrasi , Abhazya , Kosova , Hami Devlet , Tanınma

Democracy in De Facto States: A Comparative Analysis of Abkhazia and Kosovo

Öz

This article examines democracy and democratization in de facto states over the Abkhazia and Kosovo cases comparatively. De facto states first emerged after 1945, but their number substantially increased in the 1990s with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Related to their international legitimacy problems, the interest in democracy in de facto states has risen in recent years, both in the international public debates and academic literature. In this context, this study seeks answers to three key questions related to democracy in de facto states in the literature grounded on the role of patron states, ethnic divisions and conflict, and international recognition and recognition strategies. To this end, the study utilizes Freedom House data and reports and international news outlets about Abkhazia and Kosovo. The study concludes that the most important, if not the only, factor behind both democratization and recognition of de facto states is the patron state. The difference in democracy levels between Kosovo and Abkhazia is directly the result of this factor. Moreover, the most important internal obstacle to democratization in de facto states is ethnic cleavages and conflicts, as both the Abkhazia and Kosovo cases clearly show. Finally, although it is correct that Kosovo has pursued a so-called “democracy-for-recognition strategy”, this has not been the case for Abkhazia.

Anahtar Kelimeler

De Facto States , Democracy , Abkhazia , Kosovo , Patron State , Recognition

Kaynakça

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