‘SPARTA’ OR TROJEN HORSE? UNITED ARAB EMIRATES’ REGIONAL POWER STRUGGLE

Yıl 2021, Cilt: 11 Sayı: 2, 224 - 267, 30.12.2021

Zehra Karayel

https://doi.org/10.31834/ortadoguvegoc.988346

Öz

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has followed small state policies for decades, has experienced a significant change in its foreign policy behavior since the Arab Spring. The UAE which used to bandwagon the United States (US) and Saudi Arabia for decades has adopted a more pro-active foreign policy in the turmoil. It has been acting like a regional actor, ceasing to comply with the US when its interest is at stake and challenging the Saudi regional leadership when its threat assessment differs from Riyadh’s. The article will examine how it is possible for the UAE, which is a small state, to take an active stance in filling the vacuum created by the Arab Spring in the region. The regional security complex and the conjuncture of the UAE before and after the Arab Spring will be evaluated. The hedging option offered by the multipolarity to the small state policies and how the UAE used the hedging strategy in its regional activism will be evaluated.

Anahtar Kelimeler

the UAE, Small Gulf States, Multipolarity, Arab Spring, Strategic Hedging

‘SPARTA’ MI TRUVA ATI MI? BİRLEŞİK ARAP EMİRLİKLERİ’NİN BÖLGESEL GÜÇ SERÜVENİ

Öz

Kurulduğundan beri küçük devlet politikaları izleyen Birleşik Arap Emirlikleri’nin (BAE) özellikle Arap Baharı süreciyle beraber dış politika davranışlarında önemli bir değişim yaşanmıştır. Daha önce dış politikada genelde Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) ve Suudi Arabistan’ı takip eden BAE, bölgede yaşanan çalkantı sonrası pro-aktif bir politika benimsemiştir. Çıkarları gerektirdiğinde ABD’den farklı tutum takınan, tehdit algıları farklılaştığından beri Riyad’a meydan okumaktan geri durmayan BAE, bölgesel bir aktör gibi hareket etmektedir. Makale küçük devlet kategorisine giren BAE’nin Arap Baharının bölgede yarattığı boşluğu doldurmada aktif bir tutum sergilemesinin nasıl mümkün olduğunu inceleyecektir. Bölgesel güvenlik kompleksi ile Arap Baharı öncesi ve sonrası BAE'nin içinde bulunduğu konjonktür değerlendirilip çok kutupluluğun küçük devlet politikalarına sunduğu hedging seçeneği ve BAE’nin hedging stratejisini bölgesel aktivizminde nasıl kullandığı değerlendirilecektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

BAE, Küçük Körfez Devletleri, Çok Kutupluluk, Arap Baharı, Hedging Stratejisi

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