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“Gölge İttifakların Yükselişi: İttifak Sonrası Dünyada Enformel Güvenlik İşbirliği”

Yıl 2025, Sayı: 5, 82 - 107, 31.12.2025

Öz

Resmî ittifakların giderek daha fazla sorgulandığı ve çok taraflı çerçevelerin aşınma belirtileri gösterdiği bir dünyada, devletler güvensizlikle başa çıkmak için sessizce yeni yollar geliştirmektedir. Bu makale, antlaşmalar, kurumlar ya da kamu denetimi olmadan işleyen gayriresmî güvenlik düzenlemeleri olan gölge ittifaklar kavramını ortaya koymaktadır. Bu ittifaklar, bunun yerine kişiselleştirilmiş diplomasiye, stratejik muğlaklığa ve inkâr edilebilir işbirliğine dayanmaktadır.
Türkiye–Katar, Rusya–Afrika, İsrail–Körfez ve ABD–Hindistan–Japonya ekseni olmak üzere dört farklı vakayı inceleyerek, bu çalışma, parçalanmış küresel düzende gayriresmî ortaklıkların nasıl etkili nüfuz ve hayatta kalma araçlarına dönüştüğünü göstermektedir. Nitel karşılaştırmalı bir yöntem kullanarak ve dengeleme stratejisi (hedging), ağ temelli güvenlik ve yeni-klasik realizm teorilerinden yararlanarak makale, bu ittifakların yapısal ve normatif özelliklerini haritalandırmaktadır.

Bulgular, gölge ittifakların geçici çözümler değil, hem sistemik baskıları hem de rejimlere özgü ihtiyaçları yansıtan uzun vadeli stratejiler olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Bu ittifaklar esneklik ve hızlı tepki kapasitesi sunsa da, aynı zamanda ciddi sorunlar da doğurmaktadır: hesap verebilirliğin zayıflaması, özel askerî aktörlerin rolü ve küresel güvenlik yönetişiminde kurumsal normların gerilemesi.
Makale, ittifak teorisi etrafında, dünya siyasetinin gri alanlarında ortaya çıkan gayriresmî işbirliğini hesaba katacak yeni bir akademik tartışma çağrısı yapmaktadır. Ayrıca, gölge ittifakların yarattığı hukukî ve etik boşlukları ele almak üzere politika çerçeveleri önermektedir.

Etik Beyan

Etik Beyan: Bu çalışma insan katılımcılar veya hayvanlar üzerinde yapılan herhangi bir deneysel araştırmayı içermemektedir. Çalışma, ikincil veriler ve açık kaynaklı akademik literatüre dayanmaktadır. Bu nedenle etik kurul onayı gerekmemektedir.

Destekleyen Kurum

Destekleyen Kurum: Bu çalışma için herhangi bir kurumdan, kuruluştan ya da fon sağlayıcıdan maddi destek alınmamıştır.

Proje Numarası

“Bu çalışma herhangi bir kurum/kuruluş tarafından desteklenmemiştir; proje numarası bulunmamaktadır.”

Teşekkür

Bu çalışma herhangi bir kurum ya da kuruluştan destek alınmaksızın hazırlanmıştır.

Kaynakça

  • Acharya, A. (2014). The End of American World Order. Polity Press.
  • Bergman, R. (2021, November/December). How Wagner works: The mechanics of a Russian private military company. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russia-fsu/2021-10-12/how-wagner-works
  • Chesterman, S. (2016). Secret Intelligence: A Framework for Transparency and Accountability. Oxford University Press.
  • Gause, F. G., III. (2020, October). The Gulf states and normalization with Israel. Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper No. 24. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FP_20201019_gulf_israel_normalization_gause.pdf
  • George, A. L., & Bennett, A. (2005). Case Studies and Theory Development in The Social Sciences. MIT Press.
  • Grossman, D. (2020, November 16). The Quad isn’t NATO—and it shouldn’t be. RAND Blog. https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/11/the-quad-isnt-nato-and-it-shouldnt-be.html
  • Guzansky, Y., & Marshall, Z. (2020). Israel–Gulf Relations in a New Era: From Back Channels to Strategic Alignment. Middle East Policy, 27(4), 86–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/mepo.12530
  • Haass, R. N. (2008). The Age of Nonpolarity. Foreign Affairs, 87(3), 44–56.
  • He, K. (2009). Hedging, Strategic Ambiguity, and the Sino–Japanese Security Dilemma. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 9(4), 539–568. https://doi.org/10.1093/irap/lcp016
  • Kamrava, M. (2021). The Middle East’s Evolving Security Architecture: Power shifts and Informal Alignments. Orbis, 65(1), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2020.11.003
  • Kapiszewski, D., MacLean, L. M., & Read, B. L. (2015). Field Research in Political Science: Practices and Principles. Cambridge University Press.
  • Keyman, E. F. (2017). The Turkish Model Revisited: Democracy, Authoritarianism and Foreign Policy. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 19(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2016.1241196
  • Kuik, C.-C. (2008). The Essence of Hedging: Malaysia and Singapore’s Response to a Rising China. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 30(2), 159–185. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs30-2a
  • Lake, D. A. (2007). Escape From the State of Nature: Authority and Hierarchy in World Politics. International Security, 32(1), 47–79. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec.2007.32.1.47
  • Levitsky, S., & Way, L. A. (2020). The New Competitive Authoritarianism. Journal of Democracy, 31(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2020.0004
  • Lind, J. M. (2019). Life in the Gray Zone: U.S. and Allies Must Adapt to Irregular Threats. Foreign Affairs, 98(2), 113–125.
  • Lobell, S. E., & Ripsman, N. M. (2010). Constructivism and Foreign Policy. S. E. Lobell, N. M. Ripsman, & J. W. Taliaferro (Eds.), Neoclassical Realism, the State, and Foreign Policy, pp. 65–94. Cambridge University Press.
  • Martínez, L. (2022). Russia’s Return to Africa: Wagner and the New Scramble. Mediterranean Politics, 27(2), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629395.2022.2037653
  • Medcalf, R. (2020). Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the Contest for the World's Pivotal Region. Manchester University Press.
  • Mohan, C. R. (2021, September). From balancing to coalition-building: The evolution of India’s strategy toward China. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/09/16/from-balancing-to-coalition-building-evolution-of-india-s-strategy-toward-china-pub-85346
  • Öniş, Z., & Yılmaz, Ş. (2021). Türkiye and the Arab Spring: Between Ethics and Self-Interest. Insight Türkiye, 23(1), 29–45.
  • Pant, H. V., & Joshi, Y. (2021). India and the Indo-Pacific: Reimagining Strategic Relations. Bloomsbury India.
  • Pahre, R. (2009). Complex Path Dependence in Foreign Policy: The Case of Informal Alliances. International Studies Review, 11(3), 451–476. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2486.2009.00867.x
  • Ramani, S. (2020, June 29). Russia’s African foreign policy: Strategic hedging across the continent. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/06/29/russia-s-african-foreign-policy-strategic-hedging-across-continent-pub-82136
  • Ravid, B. (2020, August 13). Behind the scenes of the Israel-UAE deal. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2020/08/13/behind-scenes-israel-uae-deal
  • Revere, E. J. R. (2022, January). U.S.–Japan–India trilateral cooperation: Strategic coordination without treaty. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/research/u-s-japan-india-trilateral-cooperation-strategic-coordination-without-treaty/
  • Roberts, D. B. (2017). Qatar and the UAE: Exploring Divergent Responses to the Arab Spring. Middle East Journal, 71(4), 544–562. https://doi.org/10.3751/71.4.13
  • Souleimanov, E. A., & Abrahamyan, E. (2021). Russia’s Ambiguous Role in Africa: Between Security Provider and Strategic Predator. Post-Soviet Affairs, 37(3), 199–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/1060586X.2020.1849245
  • Snyder, G. H. (1997). Alliance Politics. Cornell University Press.
  • Stronski, P. (2019, October 28). Late to the party: Russia’s return to Africa. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/28/late-to-party-russia-s-return-to-africa-pub-80213
  • Sukhankin, S. (2019, October 22). From ‘volunteers’ to quasi-contractors: Russia’s private military companies. The Jamestown Foundation. https://jamestown.org/program/from-volunteers-to-quasi-contractors-russias-private-military-companies/
  • Taniguchi, T. (2021). Networked Security in the Indo-Pacific: Beyond Bilateralism. Asia Policy, 16(3), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1353/asp.2021.0031
  • Ulutaş, U. (2013). The “Arab Spring” and Türkiye: The Rise of Soft Power. Turkish Journal of International Relations, 12(4), 1–20.
  • United Nations Security Council. (2023). Report on the Situation in the Central African Republic (S/2023/245).
  • Walt, S. M. (1987). The Origins of Alliances. Cornell University Press.
  • Way, L. A. (2015). The Limits of Autocracy. Journal of Democracy, 26(1), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2015.0007
  • Yaari, E. (2015). Back Channel to Cairo: The Secret Talks that Led to Israel’s Breakthrough with the Gulf. Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
  • Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Yörük, E., & Eslen-Ziya, H. (2019). Türkiye's Soft Power and the Politics of Representation in the Arab World. Middle East Critique, 28(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/19436149.2019.1600055

The Rise of Shadow Alliances: Informal Security Cooperation in a Post-Alliance World

Yıl 2025, Sayı: 5, 82 - 107, 31.12.2025

Öz

In a world where formal alliances are increasingly questioned and multilateral frameworks show signs of erosion, states are quietly forging new paths to manage insecurity. This article introduces the concept of shadow alliances—informal security arrangements that operate without treaties, institutions, or public oversight. These alliances rely instead on personalized diplomacy, strategic ambiguity, and deniable cooperation.
By examining four distinct cases—Turkey–Qatar, Russia–Africa, Israel–Gulf, and the U.S.–India–Japan axis—this study traces how informal partnerships have become functional tools of influence and survival in a fragmented global order. Using a qualitative comparative method and drawing from theories of hedging, networked security, and neoclassical realism, the article maps the structural and normative features of these alliances.
The findings show that shadow alliances are not temporary fixes but long-term strategies that reflect both systemic pressures and regime-specific needs. While they offer flexibility and responsiveness, they also raise critical concerns: the erosion of accountability, the role of private military actors, and the decline of institutional norms in global security governance.
The article calls for a renewed scholarly conversation around alliance theory, one that accounts for the rise of informal cooperation in the gray zones of world politics. It also proposes policy frameworks to address the legal and ethical gaps shadow alliances leave behind.

Etik Beyan

Ethics Statement: This study did not involve any experiments with human participants or animals. All analyses were based on publicly available secondary data and academic literature. Therefore, approval by an ethics committee was not required. Conflict of Interest Statement: The author declares no conflict of interest related to this study.

Destekleyen Kurum

Funding Statement: The author received no financial support from any institution or funding agency for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Proje Numarası

“Bu çalışma herhangi bir kurum/kuruluş tarafından desteklenmemiştir; proje numarası bulunmamaktadır.”

Teşekkür

Not applicable”

Kaynakça

  • Acharya, A. (2014). The End of American World Order. Polity Press.
  • Bergman, R. (2021, November/December). How Wagner works: The mechanics of a Russian private military company. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russia-fsu/2021-10-12/how-wagner-works
  • Chesterman, S. (2016). Secret Intelligence: A Framework for Transparency and Accountability. Oxford University Press.
  • Gause, F. G., III. (2020, October). The Gulf states and normalization with Israel. Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper No. 24. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FP_20201019_gulf_israel_normalization_gause.pdf
  • George, A. L., & Bennett, A. (2005). Case Studies and Theory Development in The Social Sciences. MIT Press.
  • Grossman, D. (2020, November 16). The Quad isn’t NATO—and it shouldn’t be. RAND Blog. https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/11/the-quad-isnt-nato-and-it-shouldnt-be.html
  • Guzansky, Y., & Marshall, Z. (2020). Israel–Gulf Relations in a New Era: From Back Channels to Strategic Alignment. Middle East Policy, 27(4), 86–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/mepo.12530
  • Haass, R. N. (2008). The Age of Nonpolarity. Foreign Affairs, 87(3), 44–56.
  • He, K. (2009). Hedging, Strategic Ambiguity, and the Sino–Japanese Security Dilemma. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 9(4), 539–568. https://doi.org/10.1093/irap/lcp016
  • Kamrava, M. (2021). The Middle East’s Evolving Security Architecture: Power shifts and Informal Alignments. Orbis, 65(1), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2020.11.003
  • Kapiszewski, D., MacLean, L. M., & Read, B. L. (2015). Field Research in Political Science: Practices and Principles. Cambridge University Press.
  • Keyman, E. F. (2017). The Turkish Model Revisited: Democracy, Authoritarianism and Foreign Policy. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 19(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2016.1241196
  • Kuik, C.-C. (2008). The Essence of Hedging: Malaysia and Singapore’s Response to a Rising China. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 30(2), 159–185. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs30-2a
  • Lake, D. A. (2007). Escape From the State of Nature: Authority and Hierarchy in World Politics. International Security, 32(1), 47–79. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec.2007.32.1.47
  • Levitsky, S., & Way, L. A. (2020). The New Competitive Authoritarianism. Journal of Democracy, 31(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2020.0004
  • Lind, J. M. (2019). Life in the Gray Zone: U.S. and Allies Must Adapt to Irregular Threats. Foreign Affairs, 98(2), 113–125.
  • Lobell, S. E., & Ripsman, N. M. (2010). Constructivism and Foreign Policy. S. E. Lobell, N. M. Ripsman, & J. W. Taliaferro (Eds.), Neoclassical Realism, the State, and Foreign Policy, pp. 65–94. Cambridge University Press.
  • Martínez, L. (2022). Russia’s Return to Africa: Wagner and the New Scramble. Mediterranean Politics, 27(2), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629395.2022.2037653
  • Medcalf, R. (2020). Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the Contest for the World's Pivotal Region. Manchester University Press.
  • Mohan, C. R. (2021, September). From balancing to coalition-building: The evolution of India’s strategy toward China. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/09/16/from-balancing-to-coalition-building-evolution-of-india-s-strategy-toward-china-pub-85346
  • Öniş, Z., & Yılmaz, Ş. (2021). Türkiye and the Arab Spring: Between Ethics and Self-Interest. Insight Türkiye, 23(1), 29–45.
  • Pant, H. V., & Joshi, Y. (2021). India and the Indo-Pacific: Reimagining Strategic Relations. Bloomsbury India.
  • Pahre, R. (2009). Complex Path Dependence in Foreign Policy: The Case of Informal Alliances. International Studies Review, 11(3), 451–476. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2486.2009.00867.x
  • Ramani, S. (2020, June 29). Russia’s African foreign policy: Strategic hedging across the continent. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/06/29/russia-s-african-foreign-policy-strategic-hedging-across-continent-pub-82136
  • Ravid, B. (2020, August 13). Behind the scenes of the Israel-UAE deal. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2020/08/13/behind-scenes-israel-uae-deal
  • Revere, E. J. R. (2022, January). U.S.–Japan–India trilateral cooperation: Strategic coordination without treaty. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/research/u-s-japan-india-trilateral-cooperation-strategic-coordination-without-treaty/
  • Roberts, D. B. (2017). Qatar and the UAE: Exploring Divergent Responses to the Arab Spring. Middle East Journal, 71(4), 544–562. https://doi.org/10.3751/71.4.13
  • Souleimanov, E. A., & Abrahamyan, E. (2021). Russia’s Ambiguous Role in Africa: Between Security Provider and Strategic Predator. Post-Soviet Affairs, 37(3), 199–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/1060586X.2020.1849245
  • Snyder, G. H. (1997). Alliance Politics. Cornell University Press.
  • Stronski, P. (2019, October 28). Late to the party: Russia’s return to Africa. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/28/late-to-party-russia-s-return-to-africa-pub-80213
  • Sukhankin, S. (2019, October 22). From ‘volunteers’ to quasi-contractors: Russia’s private military companies. The Jamestown Foundation. https://jamestown.org/program/from-volunteers-to-quasi-contractors-russias-private-military-companies/
  • Taniguchi, T. (2021). Networked Security in the Indo-Pacific: Beyond Bilateralism. Asia Policy, 16(3), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1353/asp.2021.0031
  • Ulutaş, U. (2013). The “Arab Spring” and Türkiye: The Rise of Soft Power. Turkish Journal of International Relations, 12(4), 1–20.
  • United Nations Security Council. (2023). Report on the Situation in the Central African Republic (S/2023/245).
  • Walt, S. M. (1987). The Origins of Alliances. Cornell University Press.
  • Way, L. A. (2015). The Limits of Autocracy. Journal of Democracy, 26(1), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2015.0007
  • Yaari, E. (2015). Back Channel to Cairo: The Secret Talks that Led to Israel’s Breakthrough with the Gulf. Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
  • Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Yörük, E., & Eslen-Ziya, H. (2019). Türkiye's Soft Power and the Politics of Representation in the Arab World. Middle East Critique, 28(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/19436149.2019.1600055
Toplam 39 adet kaynakça vardır.

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil İngilizce
Konular Güvenlik Çalışmaları
Bölüm Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar

Yaşar Onay

Proje Numarası “Bu çalışma herhangi bir kurum/kuruluş tarafından desteklenmemiştir; proje numarası bulunmamaktadır.”
Gönderilme Tarihi 19 Eylül 2025
Kabul Tarihi 14 Kasım 2025
Yayımlanma Tarihi 31 Aralık 2025
Yayımlandığı Sayı Yıl 2025 Sayı: 5

Kaynak Göster

APA Onay, Y. (2025). The Rise of Shadow Alliances: Informal Security Cooperation in a Post-Alliance World. Güvenlik ve İstihbarat Çalışmaları Dergisi(5), 82-107.