Abstract
Yunanistan ve Kuzey Makedonya Arasındaki İsim Sorununun Güvenlikleştirilmesi ve Güvenlik Dışılaştırılması: Bir Kuzey Makedonya Perspektifi
Based on the Copenhagen School’s securitization approach, this paper traces the securitization and de-securitization of the naming conflict between Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia by the latter’s authorities as securitizing actors. As well as explaining these moves, it reveals changing levels in their discourse of securitization. It considers the 27-year-old conflict in two periods: securitization (1991-2016) and de-securitization (2016-2018). The securitization period is further divided into sub-periods based on the changing levels of the securitizing discourse due to North Macedonia’s internal and external developments. Between 1991 and 1993, fearing that the state’s survival was in jeopardy, North Macedonia engaged in moderate level of securitization. After gaining UN membership in 1993, it gradually increased its tone of securitization until the 1998 general elections. From the late 1990s until 2006, it softened the tone of its securitizing discourse as it nearly slid into civil war in 2001 and ruled in its aftermath by weak coalition governments which were unable to solve the name issue. In this period, it also behaved like a good international citizen to reap the benefits of European and NATO integration. A higher level of securitization in the discourse started in 2006, with the election of the right-wing nationalist Kiro Gligorov. North Macedonia then experienced consecutive turmoil due to the impacts of the Eurozone crisis and Greek veto on its NATO and EU membership applications in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Finally, de-securitization restarted in 2016 after the election victory of Zoran Zaev. Through which North Macedonia began dealing with the name issıe by de-escalating the discourse and turning to normal bargaining tools.
Keywords
Macedonian name issue; Copenhagen School; securitization theory; North Macedonia; Greece; Prespa Agr
