ISRAEL AND SYRIA DISPUTE: THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE EXPANSION OF THE OCCUPATION OF THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

Öz

The principal source of contention between Syria and Israel is the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War. In that war, Israel launched an attack on neighboring Arab states, occupying the entire territory of Palestine, the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria. Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, negotiations began between Israel and neighboring states, but only Egypt and Israel managed to conclude a lasting peace agreement through the Camp David Accords. The dispute with Syria over the Golan Heights, however, remained unresolved. Only a Ceasefire Agreement was signed in 1974, but Israel retained its status as an occupying power. In 1981, Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights, an act that was recognized by the U.S. President in 2019. Syria, meanwhile, has not undertaken any major military operation to recover the territory since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Furthermore, the Golan Heights dispute remained a secondary issue due to Syria’s preoccupation with civil war from March 2011 until December 2024. During this time, Israel not only maintained but further entrenched its occupation through military means and the establishment of illegal settlements. In December 2024, with the fall of the Assad regime, Israel expanded its occupation to include Mount Hermon and the United Nations Buffer Zone established under the 1974 Ceasefire Agreement, thereby deepening the conflict. This study will first examine the international legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights since 1967, and the expansion of this occupation at the end of 2024. It will then assess the potential avenues for resolving the dispute. In this context, the paper will initially consider diplomatic avenues and subsequently explain the legal possibilities for the use of force within the framework of Article 51 of the UN Charter and General Assembly Resolution 3314 on the Definition of Aggression.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• International Law
• Six-Day War
• Syria
• Israel
• Golan Heights
• Mount Hermon

Öz

Suriye ve İsrail arasındaki en büyük uyuşmazlık konusu 1967’de yaşanan Altı Gün Savaşı’nda İsrail tarafından işgal edilen Golan Tepeleri’dir. Nitekim 1967’de yaşanan savaşta İsrail komşu arap ülkelerine saldırmış ve Filistin’in tamamını, Mısır’dan Sina Yarımadası’nı ve Suriye’den de Golan Tepeleri’ni işgal etmiştir. 1973 tarihli Yom Kippur savaşından sonra ise İsrail ile bölge devletleri arasında müzakereler başlamış ancak bunlar arasında sadece Mısır ile yapılan Camp David görüşmeleri sonrası kalıcı barış andlaşması akdedilmiştir. Suriye ile olan Golan Tepeleri uyuşmazlığı ise çözümlenememiş sadece 1974 yılında bir ateşkes anlaşması imzalanmış ve İsrail’in işgalci statüsü devam etmiştir. 1981 yılına gelindiğinde ise Golan Tepeleri İsrail tarafından ilhak edilmiş ve bu ilhak 2019 yılında ABD Başkanı tarafından tanınmıştır. Suriye ise 1973 Yom Kippur savaşından sonra Golan Tepeleri’ni geri almak için askeri bir operasyon yapamamıştır. Ayrıca Suriye Mart 2011 tarihinden Aralık 2024’e kadar iç savaş ile meşgul olduğundan dolayı Golan Tepeleri sorunu geri planda kalmıştır. İsrail ise geçen süre zarfında Golan Tepeleri’ndeki işgalini hem askeri açıdan hem de yeni illegal yerleşim birimleri kurarak tahkim etmiştir. Aralık 2024’te Esed rejiminin devrilmesi ile birlikte Golan Tepeleri’ndeki işgalini genişletmiş ve Hermon Dağı ile 1974 Ateşkes Anlaşması ile oluşturulan BM Tampon Bölgesi’ni de işgal etmiştir. Bu durum da iki devlet arasındaki sorunu derinleştirmiştir. Bu çalışma öncelikle İsrail’in 1967 tarihinden bu yana Golan Tepeleri üzerindeki işgalinin ve 2024 sonunda işgalin genişletilmesinin uluslararası hukuk bakımından sonuçlarını ele alacaktır. Çalışma daha sonra uyuşmazlığın çözümüne ilişkin ihtimalleri değerlendirecektir. Bu anlamda çalışma ilkin diplomatik yolları ele alacak, daha sonrasında ise BM Andlaşmasının 51. maddesi ve 3314 sayılı Saldırının Tanımına İlişkin Genel Kurul kararı çerçevesinde kuvvet kullanımı imkanını izah edecektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Uluslararası Hukuk
• Altı Gün Savaşı
• Suriye
• İsrail
• Golan Tepeleri
• Hermon

Kaynakça

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