The threat degree of de facto states for international security; a case study of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia

Abstract

De facto states are underrated phenomena in the International Relations field. When they are analyzed, they are mainly considered in the light of the historical context under which they start to exist, under the light of their internal organization, or the light of their relationship with the other actors involved in the so-called “frozen conflict”. However, few attempts were made to assert de facto states in the context of regional and international security. In trying to do so, I would like to analyze if de facto states are or not posing threats to the regional and international status quo in their region. The assessment of de facto states will be made through mainly five different fields: general criminality in their territories, aggravated criminality in their territories, terroristic cells present in them, the forced migration caused by the conflict that created de facto states, and lastly, the possibility of a war restarting. In this thesis, I will consider specifically the cases of three different de facto states to assess international threats to international security that they pose: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.