ULUSLARARASI ANDLAŞMALAR HUKUKUNDA DEĞİŞİM, İSTİKRAR ve DEĞİŞİM YOLUYLA İSTİKRAR: REBUS SIC STANTIBUS

Uluslararası andlaşmaların taraflar nezdinde bağlayıcı olduğunu ve iyi niyetle ifa edilmeleri gerektiğini ifade eden pacta sunt servanda ilkesinin temel amacı, her devletin zamanında ortaya koyduğu iradenin arkasında durmasını sağlayarak devletlerarası ilişkilerde ve uluslararası hukuk düzeninde istikrarı sağlamak ve korumaktır. Bununla birlikte, bir andlaşmanın yapıldığı dönemdeki koşulların önemli ölçüde değişmesi halinde andlaşmanın tarafları arasındaki denge bozulabilecek, andlaşmanın konu ve amacı anlamsızlaşabilecek ve hatta ortadan kalkabilecektir. Bu çerçevede, pacta sunt servanda ilkesini hiçbir koşulda istisnası olmayan bir ilke olarak yorumlamak, uluslararası andlaşmalardan doğan yükümlülüklerinden çok farklı konjonktür ve koşullarda bile kurtulamayacağını düşünen devletleri ahdî ilişkiler içine girmemeye sevk edebilecek ve uluslararası ilişkilerde istikrarsızlığa yol açabilecektir. İşte ahdî uluslararası hukukta istikrar ve değişim arasındaki denge, andlaşmaların, akdedilmelerine zemin hazırlayan koşullardan bağımsız düşünülemeyeceği anlayışı üzerine kurulu olan ve geleneksel olarak rebus sic stantibus olarak adlandırılan “koşullarda esaslı değişiklik” ilkesi aracılığıyla sağlanmaya çalışılmaktadır. İlke, uluslararası andlaşmaların, yapıldıkları dönemdeki koşullarda taraflarca öngörülemeyen esaslı değişiklikler yaşanması durumunda sona erdirilebileceklerini veya tarafların bu andlaşmalardan çekilebileceklerini öngörmektedir. Uluslararası andlaşmalar hukukunun yerleşik ilkelerinden biri olan rebus sic stantibus, bu alanın aynı zamanda en tartışmalı ilkelerinden biridir. Gerek ulusal gerek uluslararası yargı mercileri ilkeyi uygulamakta çoğu zaman tereddüt etmekte ve pozitif uluslararası hukukun bir parçası olduğu artık tartışma götürmüyorsa da ilkenin tam olarak ne anlama geldiğine ilişkin devletler arasında görüş ayrılıkları bulunmaktadır. 1969 Viyana Andlaşmalar Hukuku Sözleşmesi’nin 62. maddesi ve uluslararası içtihat ilkenin “uluslararası andlaşmaların taraflarının ortak beklentileri” temelinde uygulanması yönünde objektif bir anlayış benimsemekte, devlet uygulamaları ise “devletlerin yaşamsal menfaatleri” temelinde sübjektif bir yorumu kabul etmiş görünmektedir. Elinizdeki çalışma, rebus sic stantibus ilkesinin, bir yandan amacına hizmet edebilmesi, diğer yandan devletler tarafından keyfî bir biçimde kullanılmasının önüne geçilebilmesi için nasıl bir muhakeme yürütülerek ileri sürülmesi gerektiğini tartışmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Andlaşmalar hukuku, pacta sunt servanda, rebus sic stantibus, koşullarda esaslı değişiklik, Viyana Andlaşmalar Hukuku Sözleşmesi.

Change, Stability and Stability by Change in the Law of Treaties: Rebus Sic Stantibus

The principle of pacta sunt servanda, according to which every treaty in force is binding upon the parties to it and must be performed in good faith aims at maintaining stability in international legal order. However, in cases where important change of circumstances occurs with regard to those existing at the time of the conclusion of a treaty, the balance between the parties may be disturbed and the aim and the purpose of the treaty may become meaningless. Therefore, if the principle of pacta sunt servanda is interpreted as containing no exception, States would be reluctant to establish contractual relationships that could not be terminated even in very different conditions and circumstances. This would certainly cause instability in international relations. International law aims at establishing the balance between stability and change by the principle traditionally referred to as rebus sic stantibus which is based on the idea that treaties cannot be considered as being independent from the conditions that paved the way for their conclusion. According to this principle, in some cases where a fundamental change of circumstances which has occurred with regard to those existing at the time of the conclusion of a treaty, and which was not foreseen by the parties, these latter may terminate the treaty or withdraw from it. Although being a settled principle of positive international law, the meaning of rebus sic stantibus generates intensive debate among States and national and international judicial instances. Article 62 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and the international jurisprudence interpret the principle objectively in light of the “shared expectations” of the parties to international treaties. Whereas States seem to invoke the principle based on their subjective “vital interests”. This article discusses how the principle needs to be interpreted to achieve its aim without being discretionary used by States.

Keywords:

Fundamental change of circumstances, law of treaties, pacta sunt servanda, rebus sic stantibus, Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties,

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