Reflections of Syrian chaos to Turkey: A geopolitical analysis

Abstract

It is obvious that the Middle East is one of the vastest geographic regions in the world. This hot region, where civil uprisings and major protests have erupted over the past 3 years, is currently associated with Awakening of People or Arab Spring, which began in Northern Africa. One of the spots suffering from this recent phenomenon is Syria, where increasing pressure and brutal violence is being applied by the current government, known as Baas Regime, in reaction to the demands of people for justice and equality. Powerful actors of both western and eastern countries have somehow come to be involved in the chaotic civil war in Syria by providing the existing government with overt political and financial support in line with their own political and economical interests in consideration of the geopolitics significance of this country in the Middle East. It is unfortunate that such external supports have even worsened the situation, resulting in loss of thousands of civilians due to a civil war. All of these have made Syrian Civil War a chess game played between the powerful countries. Meanwhile, Turkey, which has been keenly interested in the civil war ever since it broke out, has voiced its opinions about the war in the international arena through its political moves and the logistic support it has given to the opposition. However, the actual motive for this intervention of Turkey is based upon far more complicated and much deeper political and geographical factors when compared to the intervention of the western powers. Land border of 911 km between Turkey and Syria, ethnical and religious relationships by affinity of people on both sides of the border, relations of people and groups with their country’s regime, and their political structures are very important as far as political-geographical manoeuvers of both Syria and Turkey. This paper aims to assess Turkey’s attitude in Syrian Civil War in a political-geographical perspective and to make predictions regarding Syria’s future in view of geopolitics and geological strategies by focusing on how political developments between Turkey and Syria might affect the future prospects regarding the Middle East.