THE CHALLENGES TO FRENCH COLONIAL RULE IN TUNISIA: REALPOLITIK IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Öz

This research posits the dynamics behind impediments over the French colonial rule over Tunisia in the context of International Relations discipline. In doing so, anarchy notion will be beneficial for explaining the dynamics in the area; main assumptions of this research regard actors that pursues their self-interests in order to maintain their security, and gain power under the anarchic structure. This structure “acts as a constraining and disposing force” in the relations among states. On the other hand, under these circumstances, competition or rivalry among states is inevitable. The process of the collapsing Pax Ottomana replaced hierarchy with anarchy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the course of time, which resulted in the arising “Eastern Question” and power competition among European powers in the area. Under French rule, the Tunisian case constituted power rivalry between France, Italy, and British Empire. While their main interests differed in the area, those interests also were conflicting in the time-space bound. The French Empire sought to establish Francophone Empire in Maghreb; on the other hand, Britain’s core interests originated from maintaining the strategic holds and preserving her global status via Mediterranean access. For Italy, which had already prominent settler colonies in Tunisia, it was essential to participate in the colonial race. Indeed, policies in Tunisia were geographically enabling to increase power roles in the Mediterranean, where Britain and especially Italy prevented France from gaining dominant power in the area by benefiting from their subjects there. Especially prominent existence of the Italian settlers and acknowledgment of their national identity by France in 1896 brought forth more challenges to French rule in which was soon troubled by Tunisian nationalism as well.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Tunisia
• Realpolitik
• French Colonial Rule
• Decline of Pax Ottomana
• Mediterranean

TUNUS’TAKİ FRANSIZ SÖMÜRGECİ YÖNETİMİN KARŞILAŞTIĞI ZORLUKLAR: AKDENİZ’DEKİ REELPOLİTİK

Öz

Bu araştırma, Tunus üzerindeki Fransız sömürge yönetimin karşılaştığı engellerin ardındaki dinamikleri Uluslararası İlişkiler disiplini bağlamında ortaya koymaktadır. Bu süreçte, bölgedeki dinamikleri açıklamak için anarşi kavramı, yararlı olacaktır; bu araştırmanın temel varsayımları, aktörlerin, anarşik yapı altında güvenliklerini sürdürebilmek ve güç kazanmak için kendi çıkarlarını gözeten oyuncular olduklarıdır. Bahis konusu yapı, devletler arasındaki ilişkilerde “kısıtlayıcı ve kontrol altında tutan bir güç işlevi görmektedir”. Diğer yandan, böylesi koşullar altında, devletler arasında rekabet veya çekişme kaçınılmazdır. Osmanlı Barışının yıkılma süreciyle beraber, zaman içinde Orta Doğu ve Kuzey Afrika (ODKA) bölgesinde hiyerarşinin yerini anarşi almış, “Doğu Sorunu”nun ortaya çıkması ve Avrupalı kuvvetlerin bölge içinde güç rekabetine girmeleri ile sonuçlanmıştır. Fransız yönetimi altındaki Tunus örneği, Fransa, İtalya ile İngiliz İmparatorluğu arasında bir güç rekabeti yaratmıştır. Bölgedeki temel çıkarları farklılık gösterirken, söz konusu çıkarlar zaman-mekân olarak da çakışmıştır. Fransız İmparatorluğu Mağrip’te bir Frankofon İmparatorluğu kurmaya çalışmış; diğer yandan, İngiltere’nin temel çıkarları, Akdeniz’e erişim yoluyla stratejik kalelerini korumak ve küresel statüsünü sürdürmek şeklinde ortaya çıkmıştır. Tunus’ta zaten önemli yerleşim kolonileri olan İtalya için sömürge yarışına katılmak gerekliydi. Nitekim Tunus’a ilişkin politikalar, coğrafi olarak Britanya ve özellikle İtalya’nın buradaki tebaalarından yararlanarak, Akdeniz’de güç olma rollerini artırmaya olanak sağlamış, Fransa’nın bölgede egemen güç konumu elde etmesini engellemiştir. Özellikle bölgedeki İtalyan yerleşimcilerin göze çarpan varlığı ve 1896 yılında Fransa tarafından ulusal kimliklerinin kabulü, çok geçmeden Tunus milliyetçiliği tarafından da rahatsız edilen Fransız yönetimi için daha fazla meydan okumalara yol açmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Tunus
• Reel politik
• Fransız Sömürge Yönetimi
• Osmanlı Barışının Çöküşü
• Akdeniz

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