Russian Policy in the Levant/ Rusya'nin Levant Politikasi

This article examines the policies of the Russian Federation in the Levant region against the backdrop of dramatic global, regional and domestic changes. Russia's strategy is analyzed through the prism of the Syrian and the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts. The Syrian conflict marks Moscow's new activist policy in the region. On the one hand, it has provided for the astonishing diversification of its relations with the various Middle East actors, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, to name just a few. On the other hand, Moscow, striving for a new world order, has been faced with the fact that despite its cooperation with the US in Syria the two countries' approach to solving international problems are so distinct that even a fight against terrorism could not mend their relationship. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has always been perceived in Russia as the key factor in explaining the instability in the region. Russia's participation in the international structures dealing with the conflict resolution has been motivated primarily by a search for peace in the area. Instrumentally, Russia has always sought to keep open at least some channels of cooperation with the West, as these serve as a crucial means for decreasing international tensions.Keywords: Russia, Terrorism, Regime Change, De-escalation Zones, De-confliction.Bu makale kuresel, bolgesel ve ulusal degisimler baglaminda Rusya Federasyonu'nun Levant bolgesine yonelik politikalarini incelemektedir. Rusya'nin stratejisi Suriye ve Filistin-Israil catismalari odakli olarak analiz edilmektedir. Suriye catismasi Moskova'nin bolgede yeni ve eyleme donuk politikalarina isaret etmektedir. Bu durum, bir taraftan Rusya'nin Orta Dogu'da Turkiye, Iran, Israil, Suudi Arabistan ve Hamas benzeri farkli aktorlerle iliskilerini cesitlendirmesine neden oldu. Yeni bir dunya duzeni arayisindaki Moskova, diger taraftan, Suriye'de ABD ile yurutulen isbirligine ragmen, iki ulkenin uluslararasi sorunlara cozum bulma yaklasimlarinin birbirinden cok farkli oldugu ve terorizmle mucadele yaklasiminin dahi iliskileri iyilestirmeye yetmedigi gercegiyle yuzlesti. Filistin-Israil catismasi Rusya tarafindan her zaman bolgedeki istikrarsizligi aciklayan ana faktor olarak algilandi. Rusya'nin catisma cozumuyle ilgilenen uluslararasi kuruluslara katilimi, agirlikli olarak bolgede baris arayisi cercevesinde gerceklesti. Bu cercevede Rusya Bati'yla iliskilerinin devamliligi adina, en azindan aracsal olarak uluslararasi gerilimin azaltilmasina katki sagladigina inandigi bazi isbirligi kanallarinin acik kalmasini saglamaya calismistir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Rusya, Terorizm, Rejim Degisikligi, Catismasizlik Bolgeleri, Catismayi Onleme.
IntroductionRussia's interests in the Levant cannot be separated from its global interests and calculations. The increasingly diverged interpretation of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the role of military interference as [...]