The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Regional Security in Central Asia

Year 2024, , 1149 - 1166, 30.07.2024

Muhammet Faruk Çakır

https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1416922

Abstract

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a loosely organized, multi-purpose international institution. Unlike security institutions with a high level of integration, it has no integrated military structure, rapid reaction force, and a dispute resolution mechanism. This raises a fundamental question about the SCO's security role: Does the SCO have the capacity to contribute meaningfully to its members' ability to overcome the perceived threats to their security and to establish a regional order? This study suggests that this question can be answered by looking at the ability of the organization to fulfil the functions that are expected from it by the member states. For this reason, the functions that member states expect the SCO to perform in the field of security are identified in the first place, and then, it has been discussed how and to what extent the organization performs these functions under changing global and regional conditions. These security functions are ensuring an accord between the Central Asian policies pursued by China and Russia and the inclusion of Central Asian members in the accord, combating transnational threats, and the exclusion of the West from Central Asia. It can be observed that the first function has become the most important contribution of the SCO to regional security over time because China and Russia have pursued diverging policies towards the region and an asymmetry in favour of China has emerged in their bilateral relations. This study has also stated that the functions of the SCO are interconnected and affect each other. The findings of this study support the opinion that an evaluation of a security institution’s contribution to regional security should take into account the region-specific conditions in addition to the level of integration in the regional organization.

Keywords

Rusya, regional security, security institutions, Central Asia, China

Şangay İşbirliği Örgütü ve Orta Asya’da Bölgesel Güvenlik

Abstract

Şangay İşbirliği Örgütü (ŞİÖ), gevşek örgütlenmiş, çok amaçlı bir uluslararası kurumdur. Entegrasyon düzeyi yüksek güvenlik kurumlarından farklı olarak ortak askerî yapı, hızlı müdahale gücü ve anlaşmazlıkları çözüm mekanizmasına sahip değildir. Bu durum, ŞİÖ’nün güvenlik alnındaki rolü ile ilgili olarak; örgüt, üyelerin, maruz kaldıkları güvenlik tehditlerinin üstesinden gelme ve bir bölgesel düzen kurma kabiliyetine anlamlı bir katkıda bulunma kapasitesine sahip midir sorusunu gündeme getirmektedir. Bu makalede, üye devletlerin örgütten yerine getirmesini bekledikleri işlevlere bakılarak bu soruya cevap verilebileceği önerilmektedir. Dolayısıyla bu makalede önce üye devletlerin ŞİÖ’den güvenlik alanında ifa etmesini beklediği işlevler tespit edilmeye çalışılmakta, daha sonra örgütün değişen küresel ve bölgesel şartlar altında bu işlevleri nasıl ve ne ölçüde yerine getirdiği tartışılmaktadır. Söz konusu güvenlik işlevleri sırasıyla şunlardır: Çin ve Rusya’nın izlediği Orta Asya siyasetleri arasında uyum sağlanması ve uyuma Orta Asyalı üyelerin dâhil olması işlevi, ulusötesi tehditlerle ortaklaşa mücadele işlevi ve Orta Asya’da Batı etkisini sınırlama işlevi. Bunlar arasında birinci işlevin; Çin ve Rusya’nın Orta Asya’ya yönelik olarak zıt siyasetler izlemeleri ve aralarındaki ikili ilişkilerde de Çin lehine asimetri ortaya çıkması durumu nedenleriyle, zamanla ŞİÖ’nün bölge güvenliğine yaptığı en önemli katkı hâline geldiği gözlemlenebilir. İşlevlerin birbiri ile bağlantılı olduğu ve birbirini etkilediği de bu çalışmada belirtilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın bulguları, bir güvenlik kurumunun bölgesel güvenliğe katkısı değerlendirilirken, entegrasyon düzeyine ilaveten bölgenin sahip olduğu kendine özgü şartların da hesaba katılması gerektiği kanaatini desteklemektedir.

Keywords

bölgesel güvenlik, güvenlik kurumu, Orta Asya, Çin, Rusya

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