From Theory to Practice: Syrian Crisis and International Society

This study analyzes the existence and functionality of international society over the Syrian crisis. In this context, international society will be defined as a community comprised of nation-states while the functionality and the existence of this community will be put forward through its institutions. The term international society is frequently used both in daily life and in International Relations (IR) studies. However, the corresponding practice in the Turkish literature has not been clearly defined. This explains why this study embraces the international society concept of the English School and how its institutions – namely diplomacy, war, great power management, balance of power, and international law – bring this international society into force. The major contribution of the study will be to raise awareness concerning the English School of thought in Turkish International Relations literature, as well as to strengthen the theory-practice dimension of IR studies. Within this context, the article will first discuss the conceptualization of international society and then proceed to define its institutions, followed by an analysis of how these institutions functioned during the Syrian crisis. The major argument of this paper is that international society is not merely a concept but a reality itself.