AVRUPA BİRLİĞİ’NDE BİR MEŞRUİYET SORUNU: KOSOVA’NIN TANINMAMA ÇIKMAZI

Uluslararası toplum bağımsızlığının tanınması noktasında kararsız olmasına rağmen, Kosova, 17 Şubat 2008 tarihinde bağımsızlığını ilan etmiş ve Sırbistan'dan ayrılmıştır. Avrupa Birliği ise 18 Şubat tarihinde Kosova’nın bağımsızlık bildirgesini not etmiş ve üye ülkeleri Kosova’yı tanıyıp tanımama konusunda serbest bırakmıştır. Ancak Güney Kıbrıs Rum Yönetimi, Yunanistan, Romanya, Slovakya ve İspanya gibi beş Avrupa Birliği ülkesi muhtelif nedenlerle Kosova’nın bağımsızlığını tanımayarak Avrupa Birliği içerisinde bir kördüğüme sebebiyet vermişlerdir. Avrupa Birliği’ndeki bu kördüğüm yüzünden Kosova, üyelik perspektifinden uzaktır. Bu durum Kosova’nın Avrupa Birliği ile iyi ilişkiler geliştirmesine engel olmakta, Kosova’nın Birliğe muhtemel katılım sürecini tehlikeye atmaktadır. Bu çalışmada Kosova’nın bağımsızlığına giden süreçte ve bağımsızlık sonrası dönemde Avrupa Birliği’nin rolü ele alınmakta, bağımsızlık ilanından sonra Kosova’yı tanımayan Avrupa Birliği ülkelerinin temel argümanları tartışılmaktadır. Çalışmanın ilk kısmında Kosova’nın bağımsızlığı sürecinde Avrupa Birliği’nin rolü ele alınmıştır. İkinci kısımda, 2008 yılından sonra Kosova-Avrupa Birliği ilişkileri, son kısımda ise bu beş Birlik ülkesinin Kosova’yı tanımama sebepleri üzerinde durulmuştur. Makalede, Kosova’nın tüm Avrupa Birliği ülkeleri tarafından tanınmamış olmasının Birlik içerisinde eylem birliğinin tesis edilmediğine işaret ettiği ve Kosova’nın muhtemel üyelik sürecine zarar verebileceği sonucuna ulaşılmış, Avrupa Birliği’nin Kosova’nın bağımsızlığının tanınması sürecinde daha aktif rol oynaması gerektiği tavsiye edilmiştir.

A LEGITIMACY QUESTION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: THE KOSOVO NON-RECOGNITION QUAGMIRE

Kosovo, the latest breakaway territory in theBalkan region, declared its independencefrom Serbia on February 17, 2008 despite theinternational community’s split over this decision.The European Union noted Kosovo'sdeclaration of independence on 18 Februaryand allowed the member states to decidewhether to recognise Kosovo. However, thereis intransigence among European Union countriesin that five member states – Cyprus (theGreek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus),Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain –refused to recognise Kosovo's independencefor various reasons. Due to this quagmire inthe European Union, Kosovo is far away fromits membership perspective. This situation hasprevented Kosovo from having positive relationswith the European Union and has beenendangering the possibility of accession.In this study, the role of the European Union inthe process leading to the independence ofKosovo and in the post-independence periodis discussed, and the main arguments of theEuropean Union countries that do not recognizeKosovo after the declaration of independenceare discussed. The first part of the study sheds light on the role of the European Unionin the process of Kosovo's independence.In the second part, Kosovo-European Unionrelations after 2008, and in the last part, thereasons of these five Union countries not recognizingKosovo are discussed.The article concludes that the fact that Kosovowas not recognised by all European Unioncountries indicates that unity of action hasnot been established within the Union, whichcould jeopardize Kosovo’s possible accessionprocess, and recommends that the EuropeanUnion should play a more active role in Kosovo’srecognition.

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