Syrian-Iranian relations during Bashar al-Assad period: A test case for alliance theories

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2016

Öğrenci: GAMZE COŞKUN BAKIR

Danışman: ÖZLEM TÜR KÜÇÜKKAYA

Özet:

This thesis aims to analyze Syrian-Iranian relations during Bashar Al-Assad period within a theoretical perspective. In this context, after giving a review of alliance theories of international relations along with the roots of the close relations, course of relations during 9/11 events, 2003 Iraq War, 2006 Lebanon War, and Syrian uprisings will be examined within the framework of alliance theories. The thesis argues that alliance theories, when taken one by one, are not sufficient to explain the establishment of this alliance as each scholar usually makes an overemphasis on a single factor such as internal threat perceptions or external threat perceptions or identity construction and so forth. It is intended to offer an alternative approach to understand the motives behind Damascus-Tehran alliance by combining all these factors as well as focusing on international, regional as well as national dynamics contributing to this alliance behavior. This study also asserts that although the Syrian uprisings posed major threats against the alliance, Damascus and Tehran did not change their policies towards each other as the relations are still of the same importance for both.