SUUDİ ARABİSTAN’IN NÜKLEER ENERJİ PROGRAMI: ABD-SUUDİ ARABİSTAN NÜKLEER İŞBİRLİĞİ MÜZAKERELERİNDEKİ ZORLUKLAR VE ENDİŞELER

Year 2023, Volume: 21 Issue: 50, 1206 - 1226, 20.10.2023

Cıgdem Pekar

https://doi.org/10.35408/comuybd.1345713

Abstract

Suudi Arabistan Krallığı uzun zamandır nükleer teknolojiye ilgi duymakta ve ülkenin nükleer enerji altyapısını ve nükleer yasal çerçevesini geliştirmek için çalışmaktadır. Suudi nükleer enerjisindeki son gelişmeler göz önüne alındığında, Suudi Arabistan'ın nükleer enerji programını nükleer işbirliği anlaşmalarının yardımıyla sürdürme niyetinde olduğu açıktır. Krallık bugüne kadar nükleer enerji programını ilerletmek için çeşitli yabancı hükümetlerle çok sayıda nükleer işbirliği anlaşması imzalamıştır. Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) ve Suudi Arabistan arasında henüz bir nükleer işbirliği anlaşması imzalanmamış olsa da müzakereler halen devam etmektedir.

Bu çalışma, Krallığın yürütmekte olduğu nükleer enerji programına, ABD ile yürütülen nükleer işbirliği müzakerelerinde ortaya çıkan zorluklar bağlamında odaklanmaktadır. İki ülkenin çeşitli zorlayıcı konular ve endişeler nedeniyle şimdiye kadar bir “nükleer işbirliği anlaşması” (“123 Anlaşması”) sonuçlandırmada başarız olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. ABD-Suudi nükleer işbirliği müzakerelerinde karşılaşılan başlıca zorlayıcı konular, ABD'nin Suudilerin zenginleştirme ve yeniden işleme faaliyetlerini kısıtlamak istemesi ve Uluslararası Atom Enerjisi Ajansı’nın (UAEA) Ek Protokolünün Suudilerce kabulünde ısrarcı olmasıdır. Çalışma, öncelikle Suudi Arabistan tarafından başlatılan ulusal atom enerjisi projesine odaklanmakta, ardından ABD'nin diğer devletlerle nükleer işbirliğine gitmesini düzenleyen ulusal kurallara odaklanmaktadır. ABD-Suudi nükleer müzakereleri ışığında çalışma, Washington'un nükleer yayılmanın önlenmesine ilişkin ek tedbir taleplerini ve Suudi nükleer programına ilişkin uluslararası endişeleri incelemektedir. Çalışma, ek tedbirler üzerinde süregelen anlaşmazlıklar ve Suudilerin muhtemel gizli niyetleri, bölgesel nükleer silahlanma riskleri ve nükleer emniyet tehditleri gibi konulardaki endişeler nedeniyle, iki ülke arasındaki nükleer işbirliğinin düşük seviyede kaldığı sonucuna varmaktadır.

Keywords

ABD, Suudi Arabistan, Nükleer İşbirliği, Zenginleştirme ve Yeniden İşleme, Ek Protokol

SAUDI ARABIA'S NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAM: CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS IN THE US-SAUDI ARABIA NUCLEAR COOPERATION NEGOTIATIONS

Abstract

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been interested in nuclear technology and working towards developing the country’s nuclear energy infrastructure and nuclear legal framework. In view of recent advancements in Saudi nuclear energy, it is apparent that Saudi Arabia intends to pursue its nuclear energy program with the assistance of nuclear cooperation agreements. So far, the Kingdom has concluded several nuclear cooperation agreements with various foreign governments in order to advance its nuclear energy program. Although the United States (the US) and Saudi Arabia has not concluded a nuclear cooperation yet, the negotiations are currently underway.

This study focuses on the Kingdom’s nuclear energy program particularly focusing on the challenging issues in the nuclear cooperation negotiations with the US. It puts that the two countries has not been successful to conclude a “nuclear cooperation agreement” (“123 Agreement”) due to several challenges and concerns. Major challenging issues are originating from the US insistence on its stringent conditions including restrictions on enrichment and reprocessing activities (“gold standard”) and Saudi implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Additional Protocol (AP). The study first provides a short overview on the Saudi national atomic energy project and then focuses on the US provisions to conclude 123 agreements with other states. In the light of the US-Saudi nuclear negotiations, the study examines Washington’s demand for additional nonproliferation requirements and international concerns regarding the Saudi nuclear program. It concludes that due to ongoing disagreements on these two additional conditions and other concerns including Saudis possible covert intents, regional proliferation risks and nuclear security threats, nuclear cooperation between the two countries has remained at a low level.

Keywords

The US, Saudi Arabia, Nuclear Cooperation, Enrichment and Reprocessing, Additional Protocol

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