Department of International Relations
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Browsing Department of International Relations by Author "ABANOZ, Can"
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Item RUSSIAN-SYRIAN RELATIONS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR AND ITS EFFECTS ON RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RIVALRY(2020-11-07) ABANOZ, Can; DERSAN ORHAN, DuyguThe Middle East region has suffering from certain disputes since the end of the WWI. Issues related with political, economic and military instabilities, in particular, have never been settled since then. Syria is one of the crucial and complex states of the Middle East. In this thesis, by using the qualitative research method, the questions arising from the historical and the current situation of the Syria are tried to be answered. Therefore, why Syria is important for Russia, what are the Russia’s interests in Syria, why Russia and the US are following different pathways over Syria, and why both parties’ rivalry has turned into Cold War 2.0 are the inquiries of the current study. Since independence from 1946, Syria has been through the deep domestic issues and uneasy international relations. Political rivalries on the domestic matters and historical hostility with Israel have been a great challenge in the Cold War period. Due to multi-ethnic and multi-sect structure of Syria and beginning from the Hafez Assad period, sectarian issues have emerged. Bashar Assad, as successor of his father, has been facing the similar troubles and issues. Rooted historical close ties with Soviet Union and Syria has continued with Soviet Union’s successor, Russian Federation. When Syrian Civil War has emerged, Russia has quickly responded in favor of the Assad Regime. At the same time, failure of US on the Middle East policies, particularly after 9/11, the terrorist activities in the Middle East region have emerged and spread to the rest of the world. Russia’s President Putin’s long-term objectives in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean region have become great rivalry between parties. Russia and US conflicts in becoming a power in Middle East region, the proxies participating in this rivalry and the endless domestic instabilities of Syria brought about a new situation. This situation is indicating a new Cold War and pronounced as “Cold War 2.0” between the parties in dominance.