Critical Approaches to Security: Turkish Case Study - Essay Example

Critical Approaches to Security: Turkish Case Study Introduction The study of international security approaches different perspective as has been adopted by different countries during different historical eras. During the world war, the approach to international security used was different to the approach adopted by different countries after the cold war era. Security is considered as the measures adopted by countries to ensure the achievement of freedom from any internal and external threats. International security is considered as the extents to which states and countries develop frameworks to enable them maintain independent identity and functional integrity1. Approaches to international security differ between countries with other countries adopting the traditional approaches while others maintaining the critical approaches. Traditional approach to international security refers to the use of the state as the sole object and custodian of security apparatus. In this approach, a country develops a security program informed by the desire to maintain proper security for the ultimate security of the citizens. Traditional approaches to national security thus seek to encourage the accumulation of power within a country’s state organs2. Critical approaches to international security were adopted after the end of the cold war and seek to create integration of security systems and apparatus within different state organs, countries and regions. Within this context, international and national security is viewed as a social construction that is confined to different players within the society, including national security systems, collaboration and liaison between states and regions to build national and international security. The approaches introduced have different benefits and weaknesses and thus countries have adopted approaches that suit their different national and international needs. In this paper, the two approaches will be argumentatively analyzed to provide a critical perspective of the benefits and weaknesses of both. In supporting the arguments adopted in the paper, a case analysis of the approaches used in different countries like Syria, Brazil or Egypt will be provided3. Realist and critical security perspective Realist perspectives in security are considered as one of the pioneer approaches of both national security and international relations and security. This period was characterized by increased suspicion and tension between countries, which led to the need for countries to strengthen independent security systems and apparatus. Traditional approach to security considers the state as the sole actor and custodian of international security4. Within this context, countries are forced to develop power for the continuity of the state in the face of international politics and security. Under this system therefore, the behavior of the states move from being one based on international cooperation into selfishness and the desire to maximize power. This approach thus subscribe to the human nature that is guided by the desire to achieve internal influence in the face of internal competition and pressures5. This approach is thus weak and unconstructive due to the egoist nature exhibited that advanced the approach. Despite the misconception represent the views and needs of the citizens within the country, the minority leaders and political representatives develop a program of power accumulation for international political reasons6. Traditional approaches to security as based on three principles that were developed by Hobbes in which he argues that just like in the normal human being, traditional security approaches are informed by the need for the development of strong competition, diffidence and glory. Competing interest between different countries is responsible for the continued attacks conducted by different countries in order to gain competitive advantage7 (Jones, 2001). This is the tenets of traditional approaches to international relations and security and explains the need for amassing more complicated security systems. Countries that adopt this approach based on the principles discussed by Hobbes seek to gain diffidence, a situation that is accompanied by the development of safety and respect by other countries. Glory begets reputation, an event that affects the international relations and position played by different countries as was witnessed during the cold war era8. The predominant aspect of traditional security approach is the over reliance on independent state security apparatus, thus creating the need for different countries to strengthen their security. This approach has lost significant support in the current international relations issues due to the development of new threats and dimensions. International politics does not revolve around the development of independent intimidating security status but the interaction of different sovereign entities. Different states today fight wars with other groups that have no state support or identity making it state and non state wars9. An example is the fight in terrorism that involves states fighting with groups like the Al Qaeda that are not state sponsored entities. This war has progressed from independent warfare into an international situation that calls for the integration of security apparatus and systems. The united states today cooperate with other countries like the United Kingdom and France to enhance international security and improve the fight against terrorism. This cooperative approaches are not within the confines of traditional security practices but they are within the critical security approach. After the Second World War, different international organizations like the United Nations, NATO and the European Union were formed to ensure cooperation and harmonious operations within international security. These different organs led to the development of approaches which encouraged cohesive and collaborative approaches to fighting threats to international security. The north Atlantic treaty organization has provided a framework for collaborative approaches to fighting insecurity across the globe. When the domestic conflict and rebellion in Libya developed into an international threat to security, the NATO adopted a collaborative approach, which is lauded for the achievement of law and order in the country. This explains the irrelevance that has witnessed the adoption of traditionalist approaches to international security in different countries10. Countries that adopt the realist approach have a strict security policy that discourages the entrusting f a country’s security apparatus to another country or international body. Conflicts between state actors and non-state actors have been approached from an international perspective especially in countries that uses the critical approach. This has enabled most African countries to stamp out internal rebellion and aggressive activities with the help of international bodies like the United Nations. However, realist approach discourages the notion that states can depend on other international players or bodies for their own security. Though viewed as an approach that ensures a country’s integrity and respect for its security abilities, the approach has no place in today’s world where conflicts between states occur regularly. States today form strong international relations alliances buoyed by the need for the formation of trade and investment blocks. These alliance results into the need for different state actors to intervene whenever their interests in the international arena are threatened by either internal aggression or terrorism. The flexibility of the critical approach to international security allows member states to belong to different international organizations like the United Nations and the European unions. In a situation where a country is faced with a situation that is beyond its material ability to counter, such a nation is free to apply for help from the international community11. The interdependence between states and the reliance on international bodies for the security of a country as found in the critical approach also presents a challenge. Despite the end of the cold war and beginning of a phase where international security and order is entrusted in the hands of the united nation and other organizations, competing powerful interest still exist. This results into international alignments not based on security interests but policy and national approaches interest. Countries today chose to either align their security systems and structures with that of the United States, Russia and most recently China12. The three countries are the most dominant superpowers with powerful security apparatus as compared to other nations in the world. The countries thus compete for the formation of international allies and trade and investment blocks, an event that is punctuated by the need for the development of security allies. This factor is further complicated by the fact that the three have veto powers within the United Nations Security Council, a powerful organ tasked with the enhancement of international security13. Realist approaches are also dependent on the development of balance of power between nations in order to ensure the attainment of international security face of international aggression. Under this principle of the realist approach, weaker states can form alliances when their security is threatened by another coalition of states in order to enable them preserve them preserve their independence. This situation is meant to create equilibrium in power and develop a state where no coalition has any dominant power over the other coalition14. The need for such an alliance of war or the development of war-minded coalitions has no place in today’s world. Aggressions and military intervention all over the world has progressively moved from being nation to nation based to state versus non-state actors. When the United States began the gulf war, it was not a war between the United States versus Afghanistan but rather between the country and the Taliban terror groups in the country. As a result, no coalition of Arab nations against the American nation was formed as would have happened in a realist approach, which was dominant during the Arab-Israel conflict15. Critical approaches to international security has seen increased applications in a number of states in the modern world, however, this paper will analyze the application of this approach in present day turkey. Turkey appreciates the problems encountered with continued use of the realist approach in countries due to the tension and conflicts that it always created. Realist approach leads to the definition of security based on the state security requirements and apparatus. Is also defines basic human needs and rights based on the recognized facts by the independent state. This has created gross violation of human rights in these countries due to the lack of proper implementation of the United Nations charter on national security16. The realist approach lost its strength and relevance in international security due to the rising dislocation of nation-state perspectives to security creating room for more critical approaches. Realist approach was also criticized for the fact that it depend on uncritical historical events, mistrust and suspicion between countries. Turkey, a key Muslim nation found within the European Union is affected by two fundamental world hegemonies, which include the European Union existence and the power controlled by the United States. This affects the fundamental approach to international security and relations, which explains the prevalence of critical approaches to security in the country. The United States has remained as the key pillar to international relations, which explains its dominant role in shaping the policies of other countries especially in Europe towards international relations and peace. In recognizing the critical approaches to security as practiced by different countries in other world, the United States has recognized the European Union countries, without a silent isolation of Australia, New Zealand and Canada17. Turkey is also lamped together with these countries, which other non-American international relations scholars consider as less significant countries in the face of the United States. Just like the influence of the United States on other countries in the world draws from historical events surrounding the growth of the growth, the European approach to international relations and security also depends on historical events. The unity manifested by the countries within the European Union is seen as way of cushioning them against the growing influence of other countries such as Russia, China and the United States. However, the quest for a common security system within the union has been elusive, with the union only succeeding to develop a single currency18. This however not stopped member countries from maintaining the use of their own internal currencies and the development of state based security systems. It is based on this premise that the international relations and security approaches were build, showing a little deviation from the common practices among the European Union block. Turkey has adopted a critical approach to security that borders on the remains of the realist theories. Based on the core tenets of this approach, turkey’s international relations and security approaches are not differentiated based on foreign policies and practices but rather the formation of internal structures guided by the principles of the European Union on the respect for human rights. Turkey believe that the formation of a security approach that hinges entirely on foreign policies creates room for conspiracy theories that result into societal paralysis19. With the first principle in mind, the critical approach to international security as practiced by turkey is not differentiated from other area specialties but rather the formation of a discussion that underlies the country’s and region’s political and security interests. With these principles in mind, turkey seems to practice a critical approach to security that borders on the state centered realist approach both on the contemporary and from a historical perspective20. All policies on security and international relations in turkey are considered as a state function and this gives the state full correspondence on issues security between the state and the society. In this kind of contemporary setting, the interest of the state and that of the society is considered as one and this approach therefore makes the nation and the state as one21. With this shadow realist approach to international security in turkey, the state has the utmost privileges on the integrity of territorial boundaries with an aim of ensuring the stability and normalization of the society. With the role of civil society groups growing significantly in different parts of the world especially in countries that have adopted the critical approach, the civil society groups in turkey are under the control of the state in the guise of ensuring stability22. This creates a high level of status quo and the domination of other independent arms of the country as witnessed in the current approach of Turkish mixed realist and critical approaches23. The current growth in globalization and the emergence of different trade blocks after the abolition of the cold war factions goes against the approaches as practiced by turkey. These forces of globalization and development of international cooperation has not found its root in turkey due to significant absence of societal forces that can agitate for the creation of alternatives. This makes the development of alternative approaches within Muslim European country impossible despite the massive influence that the European Union has had in the region24. The state-nation approach as witnessed in turkey is attributed to the historical events that shaped the country including the war conflicts with it and the neighbors. The historical events significantly influenced the strengthening of the country’s military power and the development of state dependent approach to international security and relations. Further historical events like the world war which the country snubbed and the cold war which saw turkey shift towards the soviet policy significantly influenced its realist approach to international security. As a safe stand, this paper supported the presence of a mixed security approach in the country, which is viewed as partly realist while on the other hand beginning to embrace the principles of critical approaches. While initially viewing self as an egocentric entity concerned with the advancement of self protection, perpetuation and growth, turkey has began to appreciate that the events that occur beyond its borders significantly affects its own existence and security. For example, the uprising in Syria, which has no basis to be considered as a state versus state aggression, has significantly affected the state of turkey25. The United Nations has highlighted significant humanitarian crisis along the Turkish border with Syria that has arose because of the war in Syria. If the country adopts a pure realist approach to international relations and security, the events at the border has no significant bearing on the lives of its people and most of the people within this border are Syrian civilians. However, the state has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis and has shown positive reactions towards developing policies that are meant to improve the state of the people within this region. The opposition in Syria, the main faction responsible for this protracted war has elements of Al Qaeda sympathizers, a group that present threats to international security and peaceful coexistence. The response by the country towards these international concerns demonstrates the country’s change in policy from pure realist to a critical approach that puts the interest of other nations into consideration. With this current international confusion in the face of international conflict perpetuated by independent non-state backed groups, the Turkish government under the leadership of Davutogli has been encouraged to embrace his zero problems policy, which attributed to his success during the Arab-Israel crisis. During this period, a number of Arab countries ganged up against its common enemy Israel that led to the emergence of a decade long war. Turkey however adopted a no problem policy in which it evaluated the events based on the impacts that it had on its core existence and internal security26. Conclusions The traditional approaches to international security were advanced during a time when suspicion existed between different countries or coalition of countries. This created an environment for egocentric approach to development of security apparatus in which countries were more concerned with the development of internal security structures and the development of state owned security systems. However, the current advances in the international arena, buoyed by the formation of international bodies and unions like the European Union and the United States has created a different environment upon which relations and security are viewed27 (Muge, 2002). State versus state aggression has significantly died off resulting into conflicts that are fought from state and non state sponsored entities. Such kind of conflicts encourages integrated approaches to international security, which is common with the critical ideologies28. Turkey has however managed to exist in the modern world with a tinge of realist approach blended together with critical approaches especially during times of conflicts and war. Bibliography Canan-sokullu. 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