Civilizational Deviation in Collective Mediation: A Comparative Analysis of the Cretan Question and the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict


Aytekin C. E., OKUR M. A.

Global Society, vol.38, no.4, pp.492-519, 2024 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 38 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/13600826.2024.2334742
  • Journal Name: Global Society
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, EBSCO Legal Collection, EBSCO Legal Source, Geobase, Index Islamicus, PAIS International, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.492-519
  • Keywords: Civilizational deviation, collective mediation, international peace framework, Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Ottoman-Greek War of 1897
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study explores the phenomenon of “civilizational deviation” in collective mediation processes within international conflicts, where perceived civilizational identities significantly impact outcomes. Comparing the late 19th-century Cretan Question and the 1988–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, it reveals how civilizational factors obstruct collective mediation processes. In both cases, conflicting parties held perceptions of civilizational proximity or distance to the collective mediators, diverting mediation process from established international peace frameworks. The mediation process in Crete failed to deter separatism driven by religious self-determination, resulting in a peace design incongruent with prevailing international peace framework (Richmond, Oliver P. 2022. The Grand Design: The Evolution of the International Peace Architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2021. Similarly, the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh faced challenges aligning with normative mandates from the UN peace framework. This analysis illuminates complexities in mediation influenced by civilizational perceptions and highlighting the need to address civilizational deviation for international peace.