CONFLICT IN SYRIA: IS IT A PROXY WARFARE?
Year 2018,
Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 44 - 69, 27.12.2018
Şafak Oğuz
,
Kadir Ertaç Çelik
Abstract
This article analyses the protracted conflict in Syria in the context of proxy warfare theory, focusing especially on the competition between global powers (the US and Russia) and regional actors Iran and Saudi Arabia, which is supported by other regional Sunni states. When eventuated, the conflict in Syria represented an example of proxy warfare, but a military intervention by exterior actors upon the onset of the DAESH terrorist organisation, and shifting relations between global and regional actors, turned Syria into a more complex political and military battlefield, which a single warfare theory can no longer adequately explain.
References
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Warfare”, Der Spiegel, 11 October 2016.
“Russia will not Allow Libya-Style Regime Change in Syria:
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Flashpoint between Iran and Saudi Arabia?, Vij Books, New
Delhi 2017.
BARNARD, Anne, “Hezbollah Commits to an All-Out Fight to
Save Assad”, New York Times, 25 May 2013.
BARNARD, Anne-Karam Shoumali, “U.S. Weaponry Is Turning
Syria Into Proxy Warfare with Russia”, New York Times, 12
October 2015.
BEEHNER, Lionel, “How Proxy Warfare Work and What That
Means for Ending the Conflict in Syria”, Foreign Affairs, 12
November 2015.
BERNARD, Henry-et all, “How the Iranian-Saudi Proxy
Struggle Tore Apart the Middle East”, The New York Times, 19
November 2016.
EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin-Oktay Bingöl, “Uluslararası İlişkiler
ve İstihbarat”, Dış Politika Analizinde Teorik Yaklaşımlar: Türk
Dış Politikası Örneği, der., Ertan Efegil-Mehmet Seyfettin Erol,
Barış Kitap, Ankara 2012, p. 271-299.
EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin, ““Ukrayna-Kırım Krizi” ya da “İkinci
Yalta Süreci””, Karadeniz Araştırmaları, 41, Spring 2014, p.
1-14.
EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin-Şafak Oğuz, “Hybrid Warfare Studies
and Russian’s Example in Crime”, Gazi Akademik Bakış, 9(17),
Kış 2015, p. 261-277 .
FOLLATH, Erich-Dieter Bednarz, “Spiegel Interview with
Iranian Foreign Minister Salehi: Assad Poses No Threat to the
Middle East”, Der Spiegel, 08 October 2012.
GAUSE III, F. Gregory, Beyond Sectarianism: The New Middle
East Cold War, Brookings DOHA Center Analysis Paper, Number
11, July 2014. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/
uploads/2016/06/English-PDF-1.pdf, (Date of Accession: 02
January 2018).
GLADSTONE, Rick-Anne Barnard, “U.S. Accuses Hezbollah of
Aiding Syria’s Crackdown”, The New York Times, 10 August
2012.
HIRONAKA, Ann, Neverending Warfare: The International
Community, Weak States and the Perpetuation of Civil Warfare,
Harvard University Press, Cambridge 2005.
HUBBARD, Ben-Robert F. Worth. “Angry Over Syrian Warfare,
Saudis Fault U.S. Policy”, New York Times, 25 October 2013.
HUGHES, Geraint, My Enemy’s Enemy: Proxy Warfare in
International Politics, Sussex Academic Press, Brighton 2012.
JOSHI, Shashank, “The Views of Non-State Actors”, Aniseh
Bassiri Tabrizi and Raffaello Pantucci, ed., Understanding
Iran’s Role in the Syrian Conflict, Occasional Paper prepared
by Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security
Studies, August 2016.
KING, Laura, “Who Wants what in Syria: World Powers Jostle
for Influence”, Los Angeles Times, 23 December 2016.
KORTE, Gregory, “16 Times Obama Said There would be
No Boots on the Ground in Syria”, USA Today, 30 October
2015, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/
onpolitics/2015/10/ 30/16-times-obama-said-there-wouldno-
boots-ground-syria/74869884/, (Date of Accession: 22
January 2017).
LEVITT, Matthew, Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of
Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East, Testimony
Submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 06
March 2014, https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/
doc/030614AM_Testimony%20-%20 Matthew%20Levitt.
pdf, (Date of Accession: 04.12.2017).
MAZZETTI, Mark-Matt Apuzzo, “Saudi Arabia, the CIA and the
Arming of Syrian Rebels”, Irish Times, 24 January 2016.
MAZZETTI, Mark Anne Barnard and Eric Scmitt, “Military
Success in Syria Gives Putin Upper Hand in U.S. Proxy
Warfare”, The New York Times, 06 August 2016.
MCLEES, Alexandra-Matthew Kupfer, “A Proxy Warfare in
Ukraine?”, Carnegie Moscow Center, 31 July 2014, http://
carnegie.ru/commentary/56307, (Date of Accession: 07
January 2018).
MUMFORD, Andrew, “Proxy Warfare and the Future of
Conflict”, The RUSI Journal, 158(2), April/May 2013, p. 40-46.
MUMFORD, Andrew, Proxy Warfare: Warfare and Conflict in
the Modern World, Polity Press, Cambridge 2013.
NORTON-TAYLOR, Richard, “A Thirty Years Warfare in Iraq
and Syria?”, The Guardian, 11 June 2014.
PENGELLY, Martin, “John McCain says the US is Engaged in
Proxy Warfare with Russia in Syria”, The Guardian, 04 October
2015.
PERALTA, Eyder, “We Ask Experts: Has the Situation in Syria
Become A Proxy War?”, NPR, 17 October 2015, https://www.
npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/16/449181764/
we-ask-experts-has-the-situation-in-syria-become-a-proxywar,
(Date of Accession: 19 December 2017).
PHILLIP, Abby-Mike DeBonis, “Tillerson, Haley Issue Differing
Statements on Future of Assad in Syria”, The Washington Post,
09 April 2017.
RAUTA, Vladimir-Andrew Mumford, “Proxy Warfare and
Contemporary Security Environment”, Robert Dover, Huw
Dylan and Michael S. Goodman, ed., The Palgrave Handbook
of Security, Risk and Intelligence, Palgrave Mcmillan, London
2017, p .99-115.
SERVICE, Robert, Russia and Its Islamic World: From the
Mongol Conquest to The Syrian Military Intervention, Hoover
Institution Press, Stanford 2017.
SHAFY, Samiha-Bernhard Zand, “Saudi Foreign Minister: I
Don’t Think World Warare III Is Going to Happen in Syria”,
Der Spiegel, 19 February 2016.
SIMS, Alexandra, “Syria: Moscow Issues ‘Proxy Warfare’
Warning over US Special Forces”, The Independent, 31 October
2015.
STEPHENS, Michael, “The View from Gulf States”, Aniseh
Bassiri Tabrizi-Raffaello Pantucci, ed., Understanding Iran’s
Role in the Syrian Conflict, Occasional Paper Prepared by
Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security
Studies, August 2016, p. 39-44.
TEIFUKOVA, Riana-Mehmet Seyfetin Erol, "Russian Hybrid
War: From Theory to Practice", Uluslararası Kriz ve Siyaset
Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(2), Hibrit Savaşları Özel Sayısı, p. 33-
67.
TOWLE, Philip, “The Strategy of Warfare by Proxy”, The RUSI
Journal, 126(1), 1981, p. 21-26.
TURSE, Nick, The Changing Face of Empire: Special Ops,
Drones, Spies, Proxy Fighters, Secret Bases, and Cyberwarfare,
Haymarket Books, Chicago 2012.
WEAVER, Carol, The Politics of the Black Sea Region: EU
Neighbourhood, Conflict Zone or Future Security Community?,
Routledge, London 2016.
WILLIAMS, Brian Glyn, Counter-Jihad: America’s Military
Experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, University of
Philadelphia Press, Philadelphia 2017.
YAACOV, Bar-Siman Tov, “The Strategy of Warfare by Proxy”,
Cooperation and Conflict, 19(4), November 1984, p. 263-273.
ZARIF, Mohammad Javad, “Peace in Syria is Vital. And it’s
within Our Grasp”, The Guardian, 18 December 2015.
Suriye İç Savaşı Bir Vekalet Savaşı Mı?
Year 2018,
Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 44 - 69, 27.12.2018
Şafak Oğuz
,
Kadir Ertaç Çelik
Abstract
Bu makale, özellikle küresel güçler olan ABD ve Rusya ile bölgesel aktörler olan İran ve bölgedeki diğer Sünni devletler tarafından desteklenen Suudi Arabistan arasındaki rekabete odaklanarak, Suriye’de uzun süredir devam eden çatışmaları vekalet savaşları teorisi kapsamında incelemektedir. Makale, çatışmaların başlangıçta bir vekalet savaşı örneğini teşkil ettiğini; ancak DEAŞ terör örgütünün ortaya çıkması üzerine harici aktörlerin askeri müdahalesi ve küresel ve bölgesel aktörler arasındaki değişen ilişkilerin Suriye’yi daha karmaşık bir siyasi ve askeri savaş alanına çevirerek savaşın karakteristiğini tek bir teori kapsamında anlatamayacak şekilde değiştirdiğini öne sürmektedir.
References
- “Battle for Aleppo: How Syria Became the New Global
Warfare”, Der Spiegel, 11 October 2016.
“Russia will not Allow Libya-Style Regime Change in Syria:
Lavrov”, Al-Arabiya, 09 June 2012 https://www.alarabiya.
net/articles/2012/06/09/219590.html, (Date of Accession:
22 January 2018).
“Saudi Arabia and Counterterrorism: Fact Sheet: Fighting
and Defeating DAESH”, May 2017, Official Website of Saudi
Arabia Embassy, https://www.saudiembassy.net/sites/
default/files/Fact%20sheet%20-%20Fighting%20and %20
Defeating% 20DAESH.pdf, (Date of Accession: 22 December
2017).
“The Syrian Civil War: A Turning Point for Bashar Assad?”,
The Economist, 08 June 2013.
ABBINK, Jon, “Ethiopia-Eritrea: Proxy Warfares and Prospects
of Peace in the Horn of Africa”, Journal of Contemporary
African Studies, 21(3), September 2003, p. 407-425 .
ANSARI, Ali-Aniseh B. Tabrizi, “The View from Tehran”, Aniseh
B. Tabrizi-Raffaello Pantucci, ed., Understanding Iran’s Role
in the Syrian Conflict, Occasional Paper Prepared by Royal
United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies,
August 2016, p. 3-10.
ANTONOPOULOS, Paul-Drew Cottle, Syria: The Hegemonic
Flashpoint between Iran and Saudi Arabia?, Vij Books, New
Delhi 2017.
BARNARD, Anne, “Hezbollah Commits to an All-Out Fight to
Save Assad”, New York Times, 25 May 2013.
BARNARD, Anne-Karam Shoumali, “U.S. Weaponry Is Turning
Syria Into Proxy Warfare with Russia”, New York Times, 12
October 2015.
BEEHNER, Lionel, “How Proxy Warfare Work and What That
Means for Ending the Conflict in Syria”, Foreign Affairs, 12
November 2015.
BERNARD, Henry-et all, “How the Iranian-Saudi Proxy
Struggle Tore Apart the Middle East”, The New York Times, 19
November 2016.
EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin-Oktay Bingöl, “Uluslararası İlişkiler
ve İstihbarat”, Dış Politika Analizinde Teorik Yaklaşımlar: Türk
Dış Politikası Örneği, der., Ertan Efegil-Mehmet Seyfettin Erol,
Barış Kitap, Ankara 2012, p. 271-299.
EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin, ““Ukrayna-Kırım Krizi” ya da “İkinci
Yalta Süreci””, Karadeniz Araştırmaları, 41, Spring 2014, p.
1-14.
EROL, Mehmet Seyfettin-Şafak Oğuz, “Hybrid Warfare Studies
and Russian’s Example in Crime”, Gazi Akademik Bakış, 9(17),
Kış 2015, p. 261-277 .
FOLLATH, Erich-Dieter Bednarz, “Spiegel Interview with
Iranian Foreign Minister Salehi: Assad Poses No Threat to the
Middle East”, Der Spiegel, 08 October 2012.
GAUSE III, F. Gregory, Beyond Sectarianism: The New Middle
East Cold War, Brookings DOHA Center Analysis Paper, Number
11, July 2014. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/
uploads/2016/06/English-PDF-1.pdf, (Date of Accession: 02
January 2018).
GLADSTONE, Rick-Anne Barnard, “U.S. Accuses Hezbollah of
Aiding Syria’s Crackdown”, The New York Times, 10 August
2012.
HIRONAKA, Ann, Neverending Warfare: The International
Community, Weak States and the Perpetuation of Civil Warfare,
Harvard University Press, Cambridge 2005.
HUBBARD, Ben-Robert F. Worth. “Angry Over Syrian Warfare,
Saudis Fault U.S. Policy”, New York Times, 25 October 2013.
HUGHES, Geraint, My Enemy’s Enemy: Proxy Warfare in
International Politics, Sussex Academic Press, Brighton 2012.
JOSHI, Shashank, “The Views of Non-State Actors”, Aniseh
Bassiri Tabrizi and Raffaello Pantucci, ed., Understanding
Iran’s Role in the Syrian Conflict, Occasional Paper prepared
by Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security
Studies, August 2016.
KING, Laura, “Who Wants what in Syria: World Powers Jostle
for Influence”, Los Angeles Times, 23 December 2016.
KORTE, Gregory, “16 Times Obama Said There would be
No Boots on the Ground in Syria”, USA Today, 30 October
2015, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/
onpolitics/2015/10/ 30/16-times-obama-said-there-wouldno-
boots-ground-syria/74869884/, (Date of Accession: 22
January 2017).
LEVITT, Matthew, Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of
Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East, Testimony
Submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 06
March 2014, https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/
doc/030614AM_Testimony%20-%20 Matthew%20Levitt.
pdf, (Date of Accession: 04.12.2017).
MAZZETTI, Mark-Matt Apuzzo, “Saudi Arabia, the CIA and the
Arming of Syrian Rebels”, Irish Times, 24 January 2016.
MAZZETTI, Mark Anne Barnard and Eric Scmitt, “Military
Success in Syria Gives Putin Upper Hand in U.S. Proxy
Warfare”, The New York Times, 06 August 2016.
MCLEES, Alexandra-Matthew Kupfer, “A Proxy Warfare in
Ukraine?”, Carnegie Moscow Center, 31 July 2014, http://
carnegie.ru/commentary/56307, (Date of Accession: 07
January 2018).
MUMFORD, Andrew, “Proxy Warfare and the Future of
Conflict”, The RUSI Journal, 158(2), April/May 2013, p. 40-46.
MUMFORD, Andrew, Proxy Warfare: Warfare and Conflict in
the Modern World, Polity Press, Cambridge 2013.
NORTON-TAYLOR, Richard, “A Thirty Years Warfare in Iraq
and Syria?”, The Guardian, 11 June 2014.
PENGELLY, Martin, “John McCain says the US is Engaged in
Proxy Warfare with Russia in Syria”, The Guardian, 04 October
2015.
PERALTA, Eyder, “We Ask Experts: Has the Situation in Syria
Become A Proxy War?”, NPR, 17 October 2015, https://www.
npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/16/449181764/
we-ask-experts-has-the-situation-in-syria-become-a-proxywar,
(Date of Accession: 19 December 2017).
PHILLIP, Abby-Mike DeBonis, “Tillerson, Haley Issue Differing
Statements on Future of Assad in Syria”, The Washington Post,
09 April 2017.
RAUTA, Vladimir-Andrew Mumford, “Proxy Warfare and
Contemporary Security Environment”, Robert Dover, Huw
Dylan and Michael S. Goodman, ed., The Palgrave Handbook
of Security, Risk and Intelligence, Palgrave Mcmillan, London
2017, p .99-115.
SERVICE, Robert, Russia and Its Islamic World: From the
Mongol Conquest to The Syrian Military Intervention, Hoover
Institution Press, Stanford 2017.
SHAFY, Samiha-Bernhard Zand, “Saudi Foreign Minister: I
Don’t Think World Warare III Is Going to Happen in Syria”,
Der Spiegel, 19 February 2016.
SIMS, Alexandra, “Syria: Moscow Issues ‘Proxy Warfare’
Warning over US Special Forces”, The Independent, 31 October
2015.
STEPHENS, Michael, “The View from Gulf States”, Aniseh
Bassiri Tabrizi-Raffaello Pantucci, ed., Understanding Iran’s
Role in the Syrian Conflict, Occasional Paper Prepared by
Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security
Studies, August 2016, p. 39-44.
TEIFUKOVA, Riana-Mehmet Seyfetin Erol, "Russian Hybrid
War: From Theory to Practice", Uluslararası Kriz ve Siyaset
Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(2), Hibrit Savaşları Özel Sayısı, p. 33-
67.
TOWLE, Philip, “The Strategy of Warfare by Proxy”, The RUSI
Journal, 126(1), 1981, p. 21-26.
TURSE, Nick, The Changing Face of Empire: Special Ops,
Drones, Spies, Proxy Fighters, Secret Bases, and Cyberwarfare,
Haymarket Books, Chicago 2012.
WEAVER, Carol, The Politics of the Black Sea Region: EU
Neighbourhood, Conflict Zone or Future Security Community?,
Routledge, London 2016.
WILLIAMS, Brian Glyn, Counter-Jihad: America’s Military
Experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, University of
Philadelphia Press, Philadelphia 2017.
YAACOV, Bar-Siman Tov, “The Strategy of Warfare by Proxy”,
Cooperation and Conflict, 19(4), November 1984, p. 263-273.
ZARIF, Mohammad Javad, “Peace in Syria is Vital. And it’s
within Our Grasp”, The Guardian, 18 December 2015.