The comparison between Kosovo Question and Turkey's Southeastern Question

Abstract

NATO Operation against Serbs in 1999 caused anxiety among some politicians and academicians in Turkey. They thought that Kosovo would set a precedent for future interventions and Turkey would share same fate with Serbia.This thesis will analyze both Kosovo and Southeastern Questions and explain the futility of Turkey’s fears. Each event has its own features and it should be evaluated within its own context. That’s why; it is not accurate to establish links between Kosovo Question and Turkey’s Southeastern Question. Kosovo Question is an ethnic-religious conflict between Serbs and Albanians, but Southeastern Question is mainly a security problem. The realities of Turkey and its socio-economic and political structure of Turkey are so different from former Yugoslavia. For that reason, Turkey should get rid of its inappropriate worries about the Southeastern Question that limit its maneuver ability in international arena. Keywords: Kosovo Question, Southeastern Question, inter-ethnic conflict, PKK, Serbia.