Hegemonic Intervention: A Solution To The Problem of Collective Interventions In Intrastate Conflicts In Light Of An Analysis Of The Kosovo Crisis

Makale Geliş (Submitted) 06.06.2017 Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Journal of Social Sciences Institute Makale Kabul (Accepted) 23.06.2017 HEGEMONIC INTERVENTION: A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF COLLECTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN INTRASTATE CONFLICTS IN LIGHT OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE KOSOVO CRISIS1 Yrd. Doç. Dr. İmran DEMİR2 Abstract This article aims to develop a conceptual framework for the management of intrastate conflicts by relying on hegemonic stability theory and its basic concept: public good. In the light of the failure of the international community to develop a unified response to most cases of intrastate conflicts, the study investigates the role of leadership in international attempts to manage such conflicts. Briefly stated, in the absence of a direct threat to the interests of each individual member, there will be a need for a leader that is capable of providing the public goods associated with efforts to bring a solution to the conflict. Findings from several phases of Kosovo crisis which support this proposition are used to illustrate and evaluate the accuracy of this assumption. Key words: Intervention, collective action, leadership, NATO, Kosovo Öz Bu çalışma hegemonik denge teorisine ve bu teorinin en önemli kavramı olan kamu yararı terimine dayanarak ülke içi çatışmaların kontrol altına alınmasına yardımcı olacak kavramsal bir çerçeve geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, uluslarası toplumun ülke içi çatışmaların söz konusu olduğu bir çok olayda ortak bir tutum sergilemedeki başarısızlığı dikkate alarak, bu tür çatışmaların kontrol altına alınabilmesi için gerekli olan çabalardaki liderlik rolünü incelemektedir. Kısaca ifade etrmek gerekirse, herhangi bir ülkenin çıkarlarını doğrudan tehdit etmedikçe, bu tür çatışmaların çözüme kavuşturulması için sarfedilen çabalar için gerekli olan kamu araçlarını sağlayabilecek güce sahip bir lidere ihtiyaç duyulacağını savunmaktayım. Bu savın doğruluğunu irdelemek ve göstermek için, bu öngörüyü destekleyen Kosova krizinin bir çok aşamasındaki bulgulardan faydalanılmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Müdahale, kolektif Eylem, liderlik, NATO, Kosova Bu makale, yazarın 2005 yılında Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü için yazdığı “Hegemonic Intervention in the Form of Coercieve Diplomacy” başlıklı yüksek lisans tezinden üretilmiştir. 2 Marmara Üniversitesi, Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü, 1 Cilt/Volume: 2, Sayı/Issue: 1 Haziran/June 2017, ss./pp. 111-145. ISSN: 2548-088X http://dergipark.gov.tr/bseusbed 111 HEGEMONIC INTERVENTION: A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF COLLECTIVE INTERVENTIONS IN INTRASTATE CONFLICTS IN LIGHT OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE KOSOVO CRISIS violence has not been always sufficient to Introduction International intrastate action conflicts in response to characterized by violence is nothing new, nor is debate regarding these international actions. However, the proliferation in the number of such conflicts since the end of the Cold War has turned them into one of the major problems of the international community. There has been a growing tendency among states to view such conflicts as being more than internal matters of a state suffering from internal strife. This has contributed to induce international involvement. Although the absence of established norms, rules and procedures can be blamed as the primary obstacle in front of swift and effective international response, it does not explain the selectivity of involvement. The absence of vital interests or divergent interests of potential interveners, therefore, stands out as the most common and potentially the most credible explanation for the failure of the international community in dealing with internal conflicts efforts to search for appropriate means and This article, in the light of the failure of methods to respond to and prevent such international community to develop a conflicts. The tendency in the international unified response to the most cases of community has been acting collectively violent internal conflicts, investigates the under an international organization or an ad role of leadership in international attempts hoc coalition in the management of violent to manage such conflicts. Approaching the internal conflicts by means of coercive issue from the hegemonic stability theory intervention. perspective, I argue that in the absence of a Nevertheless, while not all internal conflicts have attracted the same degree of attention, the intensity or the amount of direct threat to the interests of individual members, there will be a need for a leader who is capable of providing the public good Cilt/Volume: 2, Sayı/Issue: 1 Haziran/June 2017, ss./pp. 111-145. ISSN: 2548-088X http://dergipark.gov.tr/bseusbed 112 Yrd. Doç. Dr. İmran DEMİR associated with the efforts to bring a of force and several other actions that solution to a conflict. requires coordination. In its most general form, the theory of I study the case of Kosovo intervention hegemonic stability is used to imply that undertaken by the North Atlantic Treaty “the presence of a single, strongly Organization (NATO) in the spring of 1999 dominant actor in international politics to provide an empirical demonstration of leads to collectively desirable outcomes for the arguments constructed here. The all states in international system” (Snidal, process of international engagement in 1985: 579). Drawing from this assumption, I ethnic conflict in Kosovo, which culminated claim that prevention and resolution of in NATO intervention, gives us clues about internal conflicts require the presence of a how collective action towards resolution of hegemon or, to put it more appropriately, a such conflicts require a leading state that is leader. The leader not only mobilizes ready international organizations to take an active contribution for the production of public role goods associated with such involvement. in efforts for the prevention, management and resolution of such conflicts but also encourages or compels other states to either participate into the solution finding process and/or contribute the production of public goods associated with the resolution of the conflict. Public goods associated with efforts to ethnic conflicts include diplomatic operations, economic sanctions, use or threat of the use to either provide or induce Consequently, my analysis proceeds in four steps. The next section briefly explores relevant studies conducted on the topic. The third section examines hegemonic stability theory and extends its basic assumption of leadership requirement for the management of international trade to the management and resolution of intrastate conflicts. In the final part of the paper, I study Kosovo crisis both before Cilt/Volume: 2, Sayı/Issue: 1 Haziran/June 2017, ss./pp. 111-145. ISSN: (...truncated)