THE MAKING OF SOVIET MIDDLE EAST POLICY VIS-Ã€-VIS THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT BETWEEN JUNE AND OCTOBER WARS (1967-1973)

AbstractThe Soviet Union started to penetrate the Middle East in the second half of 1950's. Moscow's attempts to take advantage of anti-imperialist, nationalist, quasi-socialist Arab regimes reinforced its influence in the region. Cautious Soviet policy of avoiding involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict and balanced Soviet relations towards revolutionary Arab states and Israel came to an end with the June War. The aftermath of the war necessitated Moscow to revise its Middle Eastern policy vis-Ã -vis the Arab-Israeli conflict. In this paper, I make an attempt to examine the making of the Soviet Middle East policy vis-Ã -vis the Arab-Israeli conflict between the June and October wars. My main argument is that Soviets were driven by promoting their interests in developing their foreign policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict and took advantage of regional openings so as to preserve those interests. I also argue that the Soviet Union ended up being a part of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a result of its policies in interwar period.Keywords: Soviet Union, Arab-Israeli Conflict, June War, October War, Soviet Foreign Policy. ÖzetHaziran ve Ekim Savaşları Arasında Arap-İsrail Çatışması Bağlamında SovyetOrta Doğu Siyasetinin Oluşumu (1967-1973)Sovyetler Birliği 1950'li yılların ikinci yarısında Ortadoğu'ya nüfuz etmeyebaşladı. Moskova'nın anti-emperyalist, milliyetçi, yarı-sosyalist Arap rejimlerininmevcudiyetinden faydalanma çabaları, bölgedeki nüfuzunu pekiştirdi. Arap-İsrailçatışmasına müdahil olmaktan kaçınan temkinli Sovyet politikası ve Moskova'nındevrimci Arap rejimleri ile İsrail'e yönelik dengeli ilişkileri Altı Gün Savaşı ile sonaerdi. Savaşın sonuçları, Moskova'nın Arap-İsrail çatışması bağlamında Ortadoğusiyasetini gözden geçirmesini kaçınılmaz kıldı. Bu makalede, Altı Gün Savaşı ile YomKippur savaşı arasında Arap-İsrail çatışması bağlamında Sovyet Ortadoğu siyasetininoluşumu incelenecektir. Sovyetler Birliği'nin Arap-İsrail çatışmasına yönelik dışpolitika yapımında başat belirleyicinin milli menfaatleri olduğu ve menfaatlerinimuhafaza etmek adına bölgesel fırsatları değerlendirdiği ileri sürülmektedir. Ayrıca,Sovyetler Birliği'nin bu iki savaş arası dönemdeki politikalarının bir sonucu olarakArap-İsrail çatışmasında taraf haline geldiği savunulmaktadır.Anahtar Kelimeler: Sovyetler Birliği, Arap-İsrail Çatışması, Altı Gün Savaşı,Yom Kippur Savaşı, Sovyet Dış Politikası.

The Soviet Union started to penetrate the Middle East in the second half of 1950’s. Moscow’s attempts to take advantage of anti-imperialist, nationalist, quasisocialist Arab regimes reinforced its influence in the region. Cautious Soviet policy of avoiding involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict and balanced Soviet relations towards revolutionary Arab states and Israel came to an end with the June War. The aftermath of the war necessitated Moscow to revise its Middle Eastern policy vis-à-vis the ArabIsraeli conflict. In this paper, I make an attempt to examine the making of the Soviet Middle East policy vis-à-vis the Arab-Israeli conflict between the June and October wars. My main argument is that Soviets were driven by promoting their interests in developing their foreign policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict and took advantage of regional openings so as to preserve those interests. I also argue that the Soviet Union ended up being a part of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a result of its policies in interwar period.

Keywords:

Soviet Union, Arab-Israeli Conflict, June War, October War Soviet Foreign Policy.,

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