Cyber sovereignty

This thesis examines the transformation of the modern understanding of sovereignty in the digital age through the lens of the concept of 'cyber sovereignty'. While 'sovereignty' has traditionally referred to a state's absolute authority over its physical boundaries since the Westphalian order, cyberspace challenges these notions of sovereignty by creating a new arena in which different actors can wield power. The capacity of large technology companies to collect and process data, states' cyberattack and defense strategies, legislative efforts by international organizations (such as NATO and the EU), and individuals' fundamental rights (privacy, freedom of expression, etc.) are all intertwined in this new domain of sovereignty. The study is divided into three main sections. In the first section, concepts such as 'cyberspace', 'big data', 'artificial intelligence', and 'cyberattack' are defined, with an emphasis on the discursive and economic-political aspects of cyberspace rather than its physical attributes. The second section examines cyber regulations in different countries and regions—such as the European Union, the United States, Russia, China, and Turkey—analyzing the methods by which states attempt to establish sovereignty in the digital realm. The third section discusses cyber warfare, cyber power, and digital expansion within the context of post-Westphalian international law and relations, and also evaluates how states perceive sovereignty in cyberspace in light of the 'external sovereignty' aspect of Westphalian sovereignty. Overall, the thesis demonstrates that cyber sovereignty is not merely a matter of national security or technical regulation; rather, it has evolved into a complex phenomenon requiring a holistic approach encompassing political, economic, legal, and social dimensions. In this regard, the question of how to balance individual rights and the public interest stands at the center of the cyber sovereignty debate, given the opportunities presented by the digital age.