The geopolitics for Turkey that from Caucasus to Mavera-i Caucasus

The Caucasus is a strategic bridge region located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, which have geopolitical importance. Mavera-i Caucasus, although called South Caucasus in western languages, represents the Turkish region encompassing the Caspian and Black Sea basins surrounding the Caucasus from the Great Ottoman Empire to the present day. Numerous definitions of the Caucasus have emerged, shaped by its transit nature and the different perspectives of global-regional actors. In this doctoral thesis, numerous definitions made on the Caucasus and the Mavera-i Caucasus surrounding it have been examined, and a "unified Caucasus with a supranational Turkish context" proposal has been made against the definitions of the North and South Caucasus. The Caucasus and its hinterland, Mavera-i Caucasus, have been target regions that states have sought to dominate, as two geographical basins complementing each other. These two regions are access routes to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Anatolia, the Mediterranean and India. Demographic and border changes and exiles, especially the Russians' attempts to seize the Caucasus and Mavera-i Caucasus by taking advantage of the region's ethnic richness, have caused the region to fragment and become weak in geopolitical, geoeconomic and security terms. The study expressed the natural environment characteristics that shaped the Caucasus and their socio political effects. The ethno-cultural diversity of the Caucasus was examined, but it was understood that 95% of this diversity consisted of groups and cultural structures that were close to each other. It was concluded that this situation did not constitute an obstacle to the supranational unification of the region. The Caucasian migrations that started in prehistory and determined today's administrative borders were mentioned, and the political climate that caused the demographic-ethnic and political weakening of the Caucasian isthmus was discussed. It was argued that Turkey, which defends the territorial integrity of the region and has gone through a geographical-political-historical process, is necessary as a balancing actor in eliminating this weakness. According to the analysis results, the confusing Caucasian definitions were simplified, and the historical and geographical borders of the Caucasus, which include Turkey, were revealed. Accordingly, the Caucasus consists of the Don River, the Maniç Swamp and the Kuma River in the north, the Caspian Sea in the east, the Aras watershed line and the Murat River in the south. In the west, the Taman Peninsula, separated from the Sea of Azov by the Kerch Strait, forms the Caucasus, while over the Black Sea it continues from the Mesudiye district of Ordu in Turkey, through Giresun, Trabzon, Gümüşhane, Rize, Artvin, Ardahan, Kars, forming parts of Bayburt, Erzurum, Ağrı and Iğdır, and continues all the way to Muş. Various hypotheses were put forward for the study and regional integrative political models were competed. These models are: Greater Caucasus Republic, Caucasus Union, Karakhazar Union, Turkish Protectorate, Upper Caucasus Culture and Upper Caucasus Language. The necessary situation today is to create a perception of a United Caucasus for the regional strengthening and development of the Caucasus. In this thesis study on the United Caucasus, the analytical hierarchy method was used in order to analyze the political geography of the contemporary parts individually and as part of the system. In the analytical hierarchy method, the main goal is to develop alternatives to achieve the main goal and this goal. For this purpose, a large amount of literature was scanned and alternative regional integrative political models were put forward for the United Caucasus. The two questions sought to be answered are; what are the integrative/unifying supranational models against and for. Accordingly, the main goal is to solve the cultural, ethnic, political and geoeconomic problems of the region by creating a strong reliable region against Russia, which is a common threat for the Caucasus, and against regional global actors that pose a threat. Realist, neorealist, neofunctionalist, transnationalist, regionalist approaches, intergovernmental approach, supranationalism, gradual integration models are alternative approaches presented for a united Caucasus. For the protection of Turkey in the integration, a consociationalist approach has been proposed. In this approach, which is called as co-communalization in Turkish, there is a democratic management of sub-groups in societies exhibiting different cultural characteristics without any mixing and a supranational unification by preserving the sub-identities. In this context, similar but different ethnicities in the Caucasus can be united in a supranational identity by preserving their sub-identities. This approach can be implemented on behalf of the Caucasus in the context of Turkey. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with some Caucasian associations in Turkey and a strong understanding and support was provided for the united Caucasus. A supranational unification model for the Caucasus in the context of Turkey can reduce regional and global threats by strengthening the region politically, militarily, geoeconomically and socio-culturally. Keywords: United Caucasus, Mavera-i Caucasus, Turkey, Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Geopolitics.