Ahmet Conker | University of East Anglia (original) (raw)
Papers by Ahmet Conker
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Sch... more A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the School of Development Studies of the University of East Anglia This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who refers to it is aware that the copyright is held with the author. Therefore, any information derived from the thesis may not be published without prior permission from the author.
International Environmental Agreements-politics Law and Economics, Dec 13, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish-Syrian or Lebanese-Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vis-à-vis Lebanon, while it has used non-cooperation with Turkey to exclude Turkey from decision-making processes. The paper also argues that the historical background and the political context have strongly informed Syria's water policy. Finally, given the recent regional political developments, the paper finds that Syria's power grip on the Orontes Basin slowly fades away because of the changes in the broader political context.
Environmental activism is on the rise in Turkey with the growing involvement of civil society net... more Environmental activism is on the rise in Turkey with the growing involvement of civil society networks acting at local, national and international levels. In this respect, anti-dam activist networks focusing on adverse environmental effects of large and small scale dams constitute one of the most important components of environmental movements in Turkey. Yet, there have been limited scholarly works analysing different aspects of anti-dam activism in Turkey in the light of theoretical frameworks developed in literature. Informed by deep investigation of empirical case studies across Turkey, this paper analyses how environmental activism in water resources development has increased recently. Drawing upon the "Hydro-social Contract Theory accompanied by the conceptual frameworks regarding water resources management paradigms, the paper argues that there has been an ongoing evolution from the Hobbesian forms of hydro-social contract to the Lockean form of hydro-social contract between state and society relations. This transition has enabled environmental discourse on water resources development more salient and it has provided a conducive environment for civil society to influence in decision making processes.
Nationalities papers, Sep 1, 2018
Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission," very extensively and rapidly "developing" wat... more Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission," very extensively and rapidly "developing" water resources throughout its territory. The extensive hydraulic development attempts conducted by the Turkish government create local, national, interstate , and transnational contestations among the different interest groups. A great deal of scholarly literature has analyzed the rationale behind Turkey's massivescale hydraulic development. While some studies link Turkey's hydraulic mission to its energy and food security, others highlight the importance of domestic conflicts, as in the case of the Kurdish issue in the southeast. However, few works examine the relationship between hydraulic development and state-and nation-making processes in the early period of the republic. This paper seeks to analyze the role of hydraulic development in state-and nation-making in the context of Turkey by looking at the institutional documents published by official authorities and speeches made by key politicians. Drawing mainly upon the theory of water nationalism and its related conceptual frameworks, this study argues that hydraulic development has formed one of the important components of the modernization process in Turkey, thereby playing a significant role in its state-and nation-making processes.
Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 2016
The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of th... more The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of the layer of transnational hydropolitics by looking at the controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam project. Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission", very extensively and rapidly "developing" water resources throughout its territory. Some of these flows cross international borders, specifically very heavily contested Euphrates and Tigris basin. This large basin has attracted considerable academic attention, notably in regards to Turkey"s relations with downstream neighbours, Syria and Iraq. Yet, the great bulk of the existing analysis falls prey to two broader weaknesses; a) it has narrowly applied the recently developed literature regarding the role of power in transboundary water politics, and b) it has neglected or under-emphasized how non-state actors enrol in hydropolitical processes. Informed by deep investigation of the case study regarding the recent controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River, the study proposes a conceptual framework that seeks to analyse how power dynamics are at work at different scales of hydropolitics other than interstate relations between the riparian states and how both discursive and material power capabilities influence the outcome of interactions as well as conflictual and cooperative relations between the state and non-state actors. The application of the conceptual framework to the relations between opponents and proponents of the construction of the Ilisu dam project shows how power dynamics change over time and they strongly shape conflictual relations between the actors. By highlighting the influence of the transnational anti-dam activist networks, the study shows the relevance of including non-state actors into analysis. The study shows that such actors lack material power but are able to use discursive (ideational and bargaining) power very effectively to meet their interests.
Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, Apr 2, 2018
Alternatif politika, 2019
ÖZ. 20. yüzyıl, büyük hidrolik yapıların sayısının tüm dünyada hızla arttığı bir asır olmuştur. Ö... more ÖZ. 20. yüzyıl, büyük hidrolik yapıların sayısının tüm dünyada hızla arttığı bir asır olmuştur. Özellikle Soğuk Savaş dönemine denk gelen 1950-80 yılları arasındaki büyük artış dikkati çekmektedir. Bu çalışma, Soğuk Savaş, büyük hidrolik yapılar ve sınıraşan su ilişkileri olguları arasındaki ilişkiyi analiz etmek maksadıyla hazırlanmıştır. Dünyanın faklı coğrafyalarında yer alan sınıraşan su havzalarından elde edilen örneklerden yola çıkarak bu çalışma Soğuk Savaş’ın koşullandırdığı küresel siyasi bağlamın ve bunun bölgesel yansımalarının bir taraftan büyük hidrolik yapıların artışına uygun politik ortam hazırladığını ve böylelikle sınıraşan su ilişkilerini doğrudan etkilediğini ortaya koyarken; diğer yandan sınıraşan su havzalarındaki hidropolitik dinamikler ve genel siyasi bağlam ilişkisinden hareketle Soğuk Savaş’ın bölgesel yansımalarının kıyıdaş devletler arasındaki su ilişkilerini koşullandırdığını savunmaktadır. Son, olarak her ne kadar büyük hidrolik yapılar inşa etme motivasyonunun gelişmiş devletlerde gerilediği görülse de Soğuk Savaş döneminde gelişen bu bakış açısının gelişmekte olan devletlerde halen hâkim bakış açısı olduğu ortaya konulmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Soğuk Savaş, Büyük Hidrolik Yapılar, Sınıraşan Su Politikaları. THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE COLD WAR, BIG HYDRAULIC WORKS AND TRANSBOUNDARY ISSUES AND THE LEGACY OF THE COLD WAR ABSTRACT. It is no exaggeration to describe the 20th century as the century of the big hydraulic infrastructures. Notably, the number of large dams has proliferated during the period between 1950-80 that corresponds to the Cold War era. This study seeks to analyze the relationship among the Cold War, the large hydraulic works and the transboundary water relations. Gathering empirical evidence from the different transboundary water basins, this study argues that the Cold War influenced large hydraulic works and transboundary water relations in two ways. On the one hand, the Cold War era constituted a conducive political environment for the proliferation of large hydraulic works, and henceforth, it has strongly affected transboundary hydropolitical dynamics. On the other hand, the Cold War has conditioned the regional contexts in which transboundary water relations take place. Finally, the paper also finds that even though the motivation to build large hydraulic works, which is the legacy of the Cold War era, appears to slow down in the developed countries, it is still intact in the developing countries. Keywords: Cold War, Big Hydraulic Works, Transboundary Water Politics.
This study analyses Turkey’s relations with states and non-state actors on transboundary water is... more This study analyses Turkey’s relations with states and non-state actors on transboundary water issues by examining hydropolitics at the inter-state and transnational layers from 1923 to 2011. The cases investigated are Turkish – Syrian relations primarily over the Euphrates and Tigris basin, and relations between opponents and proponents over the construction of the Ilisu Dam, which is currently underway. Turkey is fully engaged in its ‘hydraulic mission’, very extensively and rapidly ‘developing’ water resources throughout its territory. Some of these flows cross international borders, specifically the very heavily contested Euphrates and Tigris basin. This large basin has attracted considerable academic attention, notably in regards to Turkey’s relations with downstream neighbours Syria, Iraq. Yet, the great bulk of the existing analysis falls prey to two broader weaknesses: a) it has narrowly applied the recently developed literature regarding the role of power in transboundary w...
Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2020
Suriye iç savaşı ile iklim değişikliğini ilişkilendiren birçok akademik çalışma bulunmaktadır. Bu... more Suriye iç savaşı ile iklim değişikliğini ilişkilendiren birçok akademik çalışma bulunmaktadır. Bu bakış açısına göre Suriye iç savaşı, iklim değişikliğinin bir silahlı çatışmanın patlak vermesini tetikleme ya da tırmandırma potansiyeline sahip olduğuna en çarpıcı örnektir. Bu bakış açısının temel argümanı Suriye'de yaşanan iklim değişikliği kaynaklı uzun kuraklık döneminin önce iç göçe neden olduğu ve bu göçün de rejime karşı protestoları tetiklediği şeklinde özetlenebilir. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı Suriye iç savaşı örneği üzerinden iklim değişikliğinin güvenlikleştirici elitler tarafından nasıl güvenlikleştirildiğini ortaya koymak ve bu güvenlikleştirme çabalarının sorunlu yanlarını analiz etmektir. Çalışma şu nedenlerden ötürü iklim değişikliğinin güvenlikleştirilmesini eleştirmektedir. İlk olarak iklim değişikliğinin iç savaştaki rolünün tam olarak ne olduğu konusu literatürde halen tartışmalıdır. İkincisi bu güvenlikleştirme Baas rejiminin yetersizliklerini ve sorumluluklarını gölgelemektedir. Üçüncüsü iklim değişim ile iç savaş arasındaki zayıf noktalar iklim değişikliğini inkarcılarınca karşı argüman olarak kullanılmaktadır.
Mediterranean Politics, 2020
There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a c... more There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a certain stochastic process {N(F): F G S, μ(F) < 00} called the Poisson process over (I,S,μ). Any μ-preserving bimeasurable map τ on X "lifts" to a probability preserving map Γ, characterized by N(F) o T = N(τ~ιF). We show the following: If T is the shift arising from a Markov chain preserving a σ-finite measure with stochastic matrix (p,j) ltJ(=w Then Γis a Bernoulli shift iff p\"j-> 0 V/, j 6 N as «-> 00. If, in addition, T has a recurrent state or if it is transient and (§, μ) is not completely atomic, then T has infinite entropy. The analogous results are valid for p-step Markov chains preserving a σ-finite measure (v > 1).
International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish–Syrian or Lebanese–Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vi...
Sustainability, 2019
Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling e... more Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling elites to reach food and energy security, as well as to enhance domestic peace and stability since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Therefore, the concept of “hydraulic mission” fits this strategic understanding, and it has become a prevailing paradigm in Turkey’s water resource development. Many academic works have already been conducted to understand how Turkey has waged an ambitious hydraulic mission by securitizing its water resource development primarily on economic and political bases. However, fewer studies have shown how the Turkish ruling elites have also considered Turkey’s extensive hydraulic development, sanctioned by the hydraulic mission, as a foreign policy tool to enhance its influence at the international level. Drawing primarily upon the concept of opportunitisation and the body of literature that looks at, albeit indirectly, the international aspect of the hydr...
Sustainability, 2019
Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling e... more Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling elites to reach food and energy security, as well as to enhance domestic peace and stability since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Therefore, the concept of “hydraulic mission” fits this strategic understanding, and it has become a prevailing paradigm in Turkey’s water resource development. Many academic works have already been conducted to understand how Turkey has waged an ambitious hydraulic mission by securitizing its water resource development primarily on economic and political bases. However, fewer studies have shown how the Turkish ruling elites have also considered Turkey’s extensive hydraulic development, sanctioned by the hydraulic mission, as a foreign policy tool to enhance its influence at the international level. Drawing primarily upon the concept of opportunitisation and the body of literature that looks at, albeit indirectly, the international aspect of the hydr...
International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish–Syrian or Lebanese–Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vi...
Nationalities Papers, 2018
Turkey is fully engaged in its “hydraulic mission,” very extensively and rapidly “developing” wat... more Turkey is fully engaged in its “hydraulic mission,” very extensively and rapidly “developing” water resources throughout its territory. The extensive hydraulic development attempts conducted by the Turkish government create local, national, inter-state, and transnational contestations among the different interest groups. A great deal of scholarly literature has analyzed the rationale behind Turkey's massive-scale hydraulic development. While some studies link Turkey's hydraulic mission to its energy and food security, others highlight the importance of domestic conflicts, as in the case of the Kurdish issue in the southeast. However, few works examine the relationship between hydraulic development and state- and nation-making processes in the early period of the republic. This paper seeks to analyze the role of hydraulic development in state- and nation-making in the context of Turkey by looking at the institutional documents published by official authorities and speeches ma...
Mediterranean Politics, 2020
There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a c... more There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a certain stochastic process {N(F): F G S, μ(F) < 00} called the Poisson process over (I,S,μ). Any μ-preserving bimeasurable map τ on X "lifts" to a probability preserving map Γ, characterized by N(F) o T = N(τ~ιF). We show the following: If T is the shift arising from a Markov chain preserving a σ-finite measure with stochastic matrix (p,j) ltJ(=w Then Γis a Bernoulli shift iff p\"j-> 0 V/, j 6 N as «-> 00. If, in addition, T has a recurrent state or if it is transient and (§, μ) is not completely atomic, then T has infinite entropy. The analogous results are valid for p-step Markov chains preserving a σ-finite measure (v > 1).
International Environmental Agreements-politics Law and Economics, Dec 13, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish-Syrian or Lebanese-Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vis-à-vis Lebanon, while it has used non-cooperation with Turkey to exclude Turkey from decision-making processes. The paper also argues that the historical background and the political context have strongly informed Syria's water policy. Finally, given the recent regional political developments, the paper finds that Syria's power grip on the Orontes Basin slowly fades away because of the changes in the broader political context.
Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 2016
The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of th... more The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of the layer of transnational hydropolitics by looking at the controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam project. Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission", very extensively and rapidly "developing" water resources throughout its territory. Some of these flows cross international borders, specifically very heavily contested Euphrates and Tigris basin. This large basin has attracted considerable academic attention, notably in regards to Turkey"s relations with downstream neighbours, Syria and Iraq. Yet, the great bulk of the existing analysis falls prey to two broader weaknesses; a) it has narrowly applied the recently developed literature regarding the role of power in transboundary water politics, and b) it has neglected or under-emphasized how non-state actors enrol in hydropolitical processes. Informed by deep investigation of the case study regarding the recent controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River, the study proposes a conceptual framework that seeks to analyse how power dynamics are at work at different scales of hydropolitics other than interstate relations between the riparian states and how both discursive and material power capabilities influence the outcome of interactions as well as conflictual and cooperative relations between the state and non-state actors. The application of the conceptual framework to the relations between opponents and proponents of the construction of the Ilisu dam project shows how power dynamics change over time and they strongly shape conflictual relations between the actors. By highlighting the influence of the transnational anti-dam activist networks, the study shows the relevance of including non-state actors into analysis. The study shows that such actors lack material power but are able to use discursive (ideational and bargaining) power very effectively to meet their interests.
Conference Presentations by Ahmet Conker
2nd ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL SCIENCES (AICSS), 2016
The uprising in Syria, which erupted in the context of the Arab Spring, occurred due to the combi... more The uprising in Syria, which erupted in the context of the Arab Spring, occurred due to the combination of social, political and economic factors including growing poverty, rising unemployment, lack of political freedom, regional/global political dynamics as in the case of other Arab countries. Although there have been a great deal of academic studies and media outlets, which seek to uncover the role of these factors in the eruption of the Syrian uprising, there are limited studies looking at the role of water.
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Sch... more A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the School of Development Studies of the University of East Anglia This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who refers to it is aware that the copyright is held with the author. Therefore, any information derived from the thesis may not be published without prior permission from the author.
International Environmental Agreements-politics Law and Economics, Dec 13, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish-Syrian or Lebanese-Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vis-à-vis Lebanon, while it has used non-cooperation with Turkey to exclude Turkey from decision-making processes. The paper also argues that the historical background and the political context have strongly informed Syria's water policy. Finally, given the recent regional political developments, the paper finds that Syria's power grip on the Orontes Basin slowly fades away because of the changes in the broader political context.
Environmental activism is on the rise in Turkey with the growing involvement of civil society net... more Environmental activism is on the rise in Turkey with the growing involvement of civil society networks acting at local, national and international levels. In this respect, anti-dam activist networks focusing on adverse environmental effects of large and small scale dams constitute one of the most important components of environmental movements in Turkey. Yet, there have been limited scholarly works analysing different aspects of anti-dam activism in Turkey in the light of theoretical frameworks developed in literature. Informed by deep investigation of empirical case studies across Turkey, this paper analyses how environmental activism in water resources development has increased recently. Drawing upon the "Hydro-social Contract Theory accompanied by the conceptual frameworks regarding water resources management paradigms, the paper argues that there has been an ongoing evolution from the Hobbesian forms of hydro-social contract to the Lockean form of hydro-social contract between state and society relations. This transition has enabled environmental discourse on water resources development more salient and it has provided a conducive environment for civil society to influence in decision making processes.
Nationalities papers, Sep 1, 2018
Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission," very extensively and rapidly "developing" wat... more Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission," very extensively and rapidly "developing" water resources throughout its territory. The extensive hydraulic development attempts conducted by the Turkish government create local, national, interstate , and transnational contestations among the different interest groups. A great deal of scholarly literature has analyzed the rationale behind Turkey's massivescale hydraulic development. While some studies link Turkey's hydraulic mission to its energy and food security, others highlight the importance of domestic conflicts, as in the case of the Kurdish issue in the southeast. However, few works examine the relationship between hydraulic development and state-and nation-making processes in the early period of the republic. This paper seeks to analyze the role of hydraulic development in state-and nation-making in the context of Turkey by looking at the institutional documents published by official authorities and speeches made by key politicians. Drawing mainly upon the theory of water nationalism and its related conceptual frameworks, this study argues that hydraulic development has formed one of the important components of the modernization process in Turkey, thereby playing a significant role in its state-and nation-making processes.
Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 2016
The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of th... more The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of the layer of transnational hydropolitics by looking at the controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam project. Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission", very extensively and rapidly "developing" water resources throughout its territory. Some of these flows cross international borders, specifically very heavily contested Euphrates and Tigris basin. This large basin has attracted considerable academic attention, notably in regards to Turkey"s relations with downstream neighbours, Syria and Iraq. Yet, the great bulk of the existing analysis falls prey to two broader weaknesses; a) it has narrowly applied the recently developed literature regarding the role of power in transboundary water politics, and b) it has neglected or under-emphasized how non-state actors enrol in hydropolitical processes. Informed by deep investigation of the case study regarding the recent controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River, the study proposes a conceptual framework that seeks to analyse how power dynamics are at work at different scales of hydropolitics other than interstate relations between the riparian states and how both discursive and material power capabilities influence the outcome of interactions as well as conflictual and cooperative relations between the state and non-state actors. The application of the conceptual framework to the relations between opponents and proponents of the construction of the Ilisu dam project shows how power dynamics change over time and they strongly shape conflictual relations between the actors. By highlighting the influence of the transnational anti-dam activist networks, the study shows the relevance of including non-state actors into analysis. The study shows that such actors lack material power but are able to use discursive (ideational and bargaining) power very effectively to meet their interests.
Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, Apr 2, 2018
Alternatif politika, 2019
ÖZ. 20. yüzyıl, büyük hidrolik yapıların sayısının tüm dünyada hızla arttığı bir asır olmuştur. Ö... more ÖZ. 20. yüzyıl, büyük hidrolik yapıların sayısının tüm dünyada hızla arttığı bir asır olmuştur. Özellikle Soğuk Savaş dönemine denk gelen 1950-80 yılları arasındaki büyük artış dikkati çekmektedir. Bu çalışma, Soğuk Savaş, büyük hidrolik yapılar ve sınıraşan su ilişkileri olguları arasındaki ilişkiyi analiz etmek maksadıyla hazırlanmıştır. Dünyanın faklı coğrafyalarında yer alan sınıraşan su havzalarından elde edilen örneklerden yola çıkarak bu çalışma Soğuk Savaş’ın koşullandırdığı küresel siyasi bağlamın ve bunun bölgesel yansımalarının bir taraftan büyük hidrolik yapıların artışına uygun politik ortam hazırladığını ve böylelikle sınıraşan su ilişkilerini doğrudan etkilediğini ortaya koyarken; diğer yandan sınıraşan su havzalarındaki hidropolitik dinamikler ve genel siyasi bağlam ilişkisinden hareketle Soğuk Savaş’ın bölgesel yansımalarının kıyıdaş devletler arasındaki su ilişkilerini koşullandırdığını savunmaktadır. Son, olarak her ne kadar büyük hidrolik yapılar inşa etme motivasyonunun gelişmiş devletlerde gerilediği görülse de Soğuk Savaş döneminde gelişen bu bakış açısının gelişmekte olan devletlerde halen hâkim bakış açısı olduğu ortaya konulmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Soğuk Savaş, Büyük Hidrolik Yapılar, Sınıraşan Su Politikaları. THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE COLD WAR, BIG HYDRAULIC WORKS AND TRANSBOUNDARY ISSUES AND THE LEGACY OF THE COLD WAR ABSTRACT. It is no exaggeration to describe the 20th century as the century of the big hydraulic infrastructures. Notably, the number of large dams has proliferated during the period between 1950-80 that corresponds to the Cold War era. This study seeks to analyze the relationship among the Cold War, the large hydraulic works and the transboundary water relations. Gathering empirical evidence from the different transboundary water basins, this study argues that the Cold War influenced large hydraulic works and transboundary water relations in two ways. On the one hand, the Cold War era constituted a conducive political environment for the proliferation of large hydraulic works, and henceforth, it has strongly affected transboundary hydropolitical dynamics. On the other hand, the Cold War has conditioned the regional contexts in which transboundary water relations take place. Finally, the paper also finds that even though the motivation to build large hydraulic works, which is the legacy of the Cold War era, appears to slow down in the developed countries, it is still intact in the developing countries. Keywords: Cold War, Big Hydraulic Works, Transboundary Water Politics.
This study analyses Turkey’s relations with states and non-state actors on transboundary water is... more This study analyses Turkey’s relations with states and non-state actors on transboundary water issues by examining hydropolitics at the inter-state and transnational layers from 1923 to 2011. The cases investigated are Turkish – Syrian relations primarily over the Euphrates and Tigris basin, and relations between opponents and proponents over the construction of the Ilisu Dam, which is currently underway. Turkey is fully engaged in its ‘hydraulic mission’, very extensively and rapidly ‘developing’ water resources throughout its territory. Some of these flows cross international borders, specifically the very heavily contested Euphrates and Tigris basin. This large basin has attracted considerable academic attention, notably in regards to Turkey’s relations with downstream neighbours Syria, Iraq. Yet, the great bulk of the existing analysis falls prey to two broader weaknesses: a) it has narrowly applied the recently developed literature regarding the role of power in transboundary w...
Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2020
Suriye iç savaşı ile iklim değişikliğini ilişkilendiren birçok akademik çalışma bulunmaktadır. Bu... more Suriye iç savaşı ile iklim değişikliğini ilişkilendiren birçok akademik çalışma bulunmaktadır. Bu bakış açısına göre Suriye iç savaşı, iklim değişikliğinin bir silahlı çatışmanın patlak vermesini tetikleme ya da tırmandırma potansiyeline sahip olduğuna en çarpıcı örnektir. Bu bakış açısının temel argümanı Suriye'de yaşanan iklim değişikliği kaynaklı uzun kuraklık döneminin önce iç göçe neden olduğu ve bu göçün de rejime karşı protestoları tetiklediği şeklinde özetlenebilir. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı Suriye iç savaşı örneği üzerinden iklim değişikliğinin güvenlikleştirici elitler tarafından nasıl güvenlikleştirildiğini ortaya koymak ve bu güvenlikleştirme çabalarının sorunlu yanlarını analiz etmektir. Çalışma şu nedenlerden ötürü iklim değişikliğinin güvenlikleştirilmesini eleştirmektedir. İlk olarak iklim değişikliğinin iç savaştaki rolünün tam olarak ne olduğu konusu literatürde halen tartışmalıdır. İkincisi bu güvenlikleştirme Baas rejiminin yetersizliklerini ve sorumluluklarını gölgelemektedir. Üçüncüsü iklim değişim ile iç savaş arasındaki zayıf noktalar iklim değişikliğini inkarcılarınca karşı argüman olarak kullanılmaktadır.
Mediterranean Politics, 2020
There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a c... more There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a certain stochastic process {N(F): F G S, μ(F) < 00} called the Poisson process over (I,S,μ). Any μ-preserving bimeasurable map τ on X "lifts" to a probability preserving map Γ, characterized by N(F) o T = N(τ~ιF). We show the following: If T is the shift arising from a Markov chain preserving a σ-finite measure with stochastic matrix (p,j) ltJ(=w Then Γis a Bernoulli shift iff p\"j-> 0 V/, j 6 N as «-> 00. If, in addition, T has a recurrent state or if it is transient and (§, μ) is not completely atomic, then T has infinite entropy. The analogous results are valid for p-step Markov chains preserving a σ-finite measure (v > 1).
International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish–Syrian or Lebanese–Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vi...
Sustainability, 2019
Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling e... more Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling elites to reach food and energy security, as well as to enhance domestic peace and stability since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Therefore, the concept of “hydraulic mission” fits this strategic understanding, and it has become a prevailing paradigm in Turkey’s water resource development. Many academic works have already been conducted to understand how Turkey has waged an ambitious hydraulic mission by securitizing its water resource development primarily on economic and political bases. However, fewer studies have shown how the Turkish ruling elites have also considered Turkey’s extensive hydraulic development, sanctioned by the hydraulic mission, as a foreign policy tool to enhance its influence at the international level. Drawing primarily upon the concept of opportunitisation and the body of literature that looks at, albeit indirectly, the international aspect of the hydr...
Sustainability, 2019
Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling e... more Water resource development has always been considered as a strategic tool by the Turkish ruling elites to reach food and energy security, as well as to enhance domestic peace and stability since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Therefore, the concept of “hydraulic mission” fits this strategic understanding, and it has become a prevailing paradigm in Turkey’s water resource development. Many academic works have already been conducted to understand how Turkey has waged an ambitious hydraulic mission by securitizing its water resource development primarily on economic and political bases. However, fewer studies have shown how the Turkish ruling elites have also considered Turkey’s extensive hydraulic development, sanctioned by the hydraulic mission, as a foreign policy tool to enhance its influence at the international level. Drawing primarily upon the concept of opportunitisation and the body of literature that looks at, albeit indirectly, the international aspect of the hydr...
International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish–Syrian or Lebanese–Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vi...
Nationalities Papers, 2018
Turkey is fully engaged in its “hydraulic mission,” very extensively and rapidly “developing” wat... more Turkey is fully engaged in its “hydraulic mission,” very extensively and rapidly “developing” water resources throughout its territory. The extensive hydraulic development attempts conducted by the Turkish government create local, national, inter-state, and transnational contestations among the different interest groups. A great deal of scholarly literature has analyzed the rationale behind Turkey's massive-scale hydraulic development. While some studies link Turkey's hydraulic mission to its energy and food security, others highlight the importance of domestic conflicts, as in the case of the Kurdish issue in the southeast. However, few works examine the relationship between hydraulic development and state- and nation-making processes in the early period of the republic. This paper seeks to analyze the role of hydraulic development in state- and nation-making in the context of Turkey by looking at the institutional documents published by official authorities and speeches ma...
Mediterranean Politics, 2020
There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a c... more There is a well-known construction which associates with each σ-finite measure space (X, S,μ) a certain stochastic process {N(F): F G S, μ(F) < 00} called the Poisson process over (I,S,μ). Any μ-preserving bimeasurable map τ on X "lifts" to a probability preserving map Γ, characterized by N(F) o T = N(τ~ιF). We show the following: If T is the shift arising from a Markov chain preserving a σ-finite measure with stochastic matrix (p,j) ltJ(=w Then Γis a Bernoulli shift iff p\"j-> 0 V/, j 6 N as «-> 00. If, in addition, T has a recurrent state or if it is transient and (§, μ) is not completely atomic, then T has infinite entropy. The analogous results are valid for p-step Markov chains preserving a σ-finite measure (v > 1).
International Environmental Agreements-politics Law and Economics, Dec 13, 2019
The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle Ea... more The Orontes River Basin is among the least researched transboundary water basins in the Middle East. The few studies on the Orontes have two main theoretical and empirical shortcomings. First, there is a lack of critical hydropolitics studies on this river. Second, those studies focus on either the Turkish-Syrian or Lebanese-Syria relations rather than analysing the case in a holistic way. Gathering both primary (international agreements, government documents, political statements and media outlets) and secondary sources, this paper seeks to answer how could Syria, as the basin hydro-hegemon, impose its control on the basin? This study argues that the lack of trilateral initiatives, which is also reflected in academic studies, is primarily due to asymmetrical power dynamics. Accordingly, Syria played a dual-game by excluding each riparian, Turkey and Lebanon, and it dealt with the issue at the bilateral interaction. Syria has used its political influence to maintain water control vis-à-vis Lebanon, while it has used non-cooperation with Turkey to exclude Turkey from decision-making processes. The paper also argues that the historical background and the political context have strongly informed Syria's water policy. Finally, given the recent regional political developments, the paper finds that Syria's power grip on the Orontes Basin slowly fades away because of the changes in the broader political context.
Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, 2016
The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of th... more The study analyses hydropolitical relations among state and non-state actors in the context of the layer of transnational hydropolitics by looking at the controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam project. Turkey is fully engaged in its "hydraulic mission", very extensively and rapidly "developing" water resources throughout its territory. Some of these flows cross international borders, specifically very heavily contested Euphrates and Tigris basin. This large basin has attracted considerable academic attention, notably in regards to Turkey"s relations with downstream neighbours, Syria and Iraq. Yet, the great bulk of the existing analysis falls prey to two broader weaknesses; a) it has narrowly applied the recently developed literature regarding the role of power in transboundary water politics, and b) it has neglected or under-emphasized how non-state actors enrol in hydropolitical processes. Informed by deep investigation of the case study regarding the recent controversy over the construction of the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River, the study proposes a conceptual framework that seeks to analyse how power dynamics are at work at different scales of hydropolitics other than interstate relations between the riparian states and how both discursive and material power capabilities influence the outcome of interactions as well as conflictual and cooperative relations between the state and non-state actors. The application of the conceptual framework to the relations between opponents and proponents of the construction of the Ilisu dam project shows how power dynamics change over time and they strongly shape conflictual relations between the actors. By highlighting the influence of the transnational anti-dam activist networks, the study shows the relevance of including non-state actors into analysis. The study shows that such actors lack material power but are able to use discursive (ideational and bargaining) power very effectively to meet their interests.
2nd ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL SCIENCES (AICSS), 2016
The uprising in Syria, which erupted in the context of the Arab Spring, occurred due to the combi... more The uprising in Syria, which erupted in the context of the Arab Spring, occurred due to the combination of social, political and economic factors including growing poverty, rising unemployment, lack of political freedom, regional/global political dynamics as in the case of other Arab countries. Although there have been a great deal of academic studies and media outlets, which seek to uncover the role of these factors in the eruption of the Syrian uprising, there are limited studies looking at the role of water.