+høNWLVDGLYHøGDUL%LOLPOHU)DNOWHVL'HUJLVL&LOW6D\ÕV-319 RUSSIA’S RETURN TO CENTRAL ASIA FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER 11 Havva KÖK (Assist. Prof., Hacettepe University, Department of International Relations, 06800, Ankara, TURKEY)
[email protected] Abstract: The present study attempts to analyse whether Russian foreign policy towards Central Asia has altered after September 11 attacks; if it did, how it changed and what its implications for the region will be. It is argued that though immediately after 9/11 Russia welcomed American presence in its “backyard”, after a while to keep Russian pragmatism in its relations with Central Asia has been difficult. Since the war in Iraq, particularly, Russia has launched a comprehensive effort to bring Central Asia under its control using military and economic instruments. However, whether Russia’s efforts for exclusive hegemony in Central Asia will fail or succeed still remains in question. Özet: (\OO6RQUDVÕ5XV\D¶QÕQ2UWD$V\D'Õú3ROLWLNDVÕ %XoDOÕúPD(\OOVRQUDVÕQGD5XV\D¶QÕQ2UWD$V\DSROLWLNDVÕQÕQ GH÷LúLSGH÷LúPHGL÷LQLGH÷LúWL\VH KDQJL\|QGHELUGH÷LúLNOL÷H X÷UDGÕ÷ÕQÕ LQFHOHPH\L DPDoODPDNWDGÕU dDOÕúPDGD 11 Eylül’ün hemen sonrasÕQGD 5XV\D³DUNDEDKoHVLQGHNL´$PHULNDQYDUOÕ÷ÕQDVHVoÕNDUPDGÕ\VDGDNÕVD ELU VXUH VRQUD EX GXUXPXQ 5XV\D¶GD FLGGL UDKDWVÕ]OÕNODUD \RO DoWÕ÷Õ VDYXQXOPDNWDGÕU 1LWHNLP øNLQFL ,UDN 6DYDúÕ¶QÕQ EDúODPDVÕQGDQ günümüze kadar geçen zamanda Rusya Orta Asya’daNL YDUOÕ÷ÕQÕ VD÷ODPODúWÕUPDN LoLQ ELUWDNÕP HNRQRPLN YH DVNHUL DUDoODUÕ GHYUH\H VRNPXúWXU $QFDN EX oDEDODU 5XV\D¶QÕQ E|OJHGH \HQLGHQ HVNL KDNLPL\HWLQLVD÷ODPDVÕQD\HWHFHNPLEXKHQ]EHOOLGH÷LOGLU Keywords: Russian foreign policy, Central Asia, September 11, Second Iraq War. Anahtar Sözcükler:5XVGÕúSROLWLNDVÕ2UWD$V\D(\OOøNLQFL,UDN6DYDúÕ 310 Havva KÖK INTRODUCTION Russia’s post-September 11 position in the Central Asian region has been quite difficult.