A GLOBAL PROBLEM: TERRORISM

 

ABSTRACT

First of all, in this study, by looking at the historical background of the concepts of terror and terrorism, it will be examined exactly what these words mean and where they emerged. In this article, it is possible to see how the emerging concept of terrorism later became global and increased its severity and frequency.  At the same time, in this study, the structuring of Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization that has continued to increase its influence since its establishment, and how the organization was organized so quickly at the global level will be examined. In this way, terrorism, which is spreading rapidly in the global arena, has prompted the states of the world and international organizations to take joint decisions on this issue and to take important decisions against legal and illegal institutions that provide financial resources to terrorism. In order to better comprehend the concept of globalized terrorism, the concept of terrorism is discussed in all aspects in this study. At the same time, it would be appropriate to say that the most important pillar of the war on terror, which cannot be completely eradicated, is the legal rules, sanctions and penalties to be prepared with strong cooperation in the international arena.

SUMMARY

First of all, in this study, by looking at the historical background of the concepts of terror and terrorism, it will be examined exactly what these words mean and where they emerged. In this article, it is possible to see how the emerging concept of terrorism later became global and increased its severity and frequency.  At the same time, in this study, the structuring of Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization that has continued to increase its influence since its establishment, and how the organization was organized so quickly at the global level will be examined. In this way, terrorism, which is spreading rapidly in the global arena, has prompted the states of the world and international organizations to take joint decisions on this issue and to take important decisions against legal and illegal institutions that provide financial resources to terrorism. In order to better comprehend the concept of globalized terrorism, the concept of terrorism is discussed in all aspects in this study. At the same time, it would be appropriate to say that the most important pillar of the war on terror, which cannot be completely eradicated, is the legal rules, sanctions and penalties to be prepared with strong cooperation in the international arena.

INTRODUCTION TO TERRORISM

Before looking at the emergence of the concept of terrorism, we can focus on the meaning of the word terrorism. The word terror-terrorism is of Latin origin. It comes from the word "terere", which means to frighten, frighten or intimidate.

The concepts of terror and terrorism are as old as human history. Terrorism as a political concept was first used in its current sense after the French Revolution. The period from March 1793 to July 1794 was called the "reign of terror" or the period of terror. In the historical process, the concept of terrorism gained a global dimension with the proposal of the "International Convention for the Universalization of the Suppression of Terrorism" submitted by Romania to the League of Nations in 1926. Although it is a widely used term today, it is impossible to give a common definition of terrorism. This is not because terrorism is a difficult concept to explain, but because the concepts of terror and terrorism have a subjective nature. Because according to some countries, a terrorist can be considered a hero according to another. States do not want to limit themselves to a common definition and therefore look at the concept of terrorism from other perspectives. In addition, encountering a wide variety of terrorist incidents in history is one of the reasons that make the definition of terrorism difficult. In this case, the definition of terrorism and terrorists developed by countries according to themselves comes into play. If each state agreed on a single definition of terrorist, everything would be easier and terrorist attacks more preventable. According to some scientists, terrorism; They are acts of violence by secret or semi-secret individuals, groups or official state organs for political, criminal and specific reasons, which instill fear in society and are usually directed towards indirect targets. The targets to which the violence is directed are chosen randomly or a representative from the target society is chosen as the target. Yonah Alexander defined terrorism as follows: "Terrorism is the use of violence by an organized group to create a climate of fear in order to seize real or imagined targets. As can be understood from both definitions, terrorism is not only the political choice of organized groups that are against the state; It is seen that states resort to this way from time to time in order to maintain their own political preferences. Terrorism has also been defined as "the weapon used by the weak against the strong". This can sometimes be exemplified as the weapon used by the weak state against the strong state, and sometimes as the weapon used by groups independent of the state (such as al-Qaeda) against the states.

FINANCIAL SOURCES OF TERRORISM

Terrorist organizations need financing in order to meet the basic needs such as shelter and food necessary for the members of the organization to survive, and to provide weapons, equipment and ammunition with the organization. Moreover; All of the actions of terrorist organizations such as communicating with the members of the terrorist organization, receiving terrorist training, covering the treatment costs, and making propaganda for the organization require financial resources. In other words, terrorist organizations need financial resources in order to maintain their existence and existence. The size and smallness of the financial resources of terrorist organizations lead to the number of actions of terrorist organizations and the extent to which the action will be comprehensive. Therefore, the financial resources of terrorist organizations are the basis for the structuring and survival of terrorism. Some of the financial sources that support terrorism include;

1-Drug Trafficking,

2-Arms Smuggling,

3-Extortion/Robbery/Theft and counterfeiting such as ransom,

4-Tribute Collection,

5-Bank and Credit Card Fraud,

6-Human trafficking, Migrant smuggling,

In addition to these, there are revenues obtained by some terrorist organizations under the name of legal means. These can be called feeding terrorism under the name of legal means, such as the fact that any member of a terrorist organization owns businesses in the society and secretly transfers some of the revenues of these enterprises to terrorist organizations.

GLOBALIZATION OF TERRORISM

As a milestone after the September 11 attacks, it was seen that terrorism, which operated in limited areas, has now taken a form that transcends borders. Due to these attacks, it is generally accepted that terrorism has become global, terrorism has become widespread and has spread throughout the world. At a time when globalization and the opportunities brought by technology allow terrorist organizations to start striking those they see as enemies outside the borders where they are locally located and deployed, and even the richest and most developed countries of the world can be hit; This situation has caused the people on the street to feel psychological anxiety and doubt. However, despite this, consensus among countries and governments on the prevention of international terrorism has not been fully achieved. Against the Americans' "war on terror", the European Union (EU) preferred the phrase "war on terrorism". Rather, the EU evaluates the threat of terrorism from the migration movement from North Africa to its territory from the Mediterranean and the Middle East through the Balkans; It predicts that the threat will come primarily from peoples of North African and Middle Eastern origin.

 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TERRORISM AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

It is possible to say that terrorism has started to spread to the international arena rather than staying within its own borders. In the face of the security threat posed by terrorism in the international system, international organizations have not hesitated to take some measures. Many international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the European Security and Defense Organization (OSCE) or the Council of Europe (CoE) have taken initiatives on terrorism. However, it is possible to say that these activities are successful from time to time and unsuccessful from time to time.

UNITED NATIONS AND TERRORISM

Although terrorism has been a phenomenon that has manifested itself for a long time, terrorism has become more popular after the September 11 events, in which states felt that their security was seriously in danger in the international arena and prompted states to take stricter measures against terrorism. In this context, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the efforts to combat terrorism carried out at the United Nations were accelerated. The fight against terrorism is defined in Article 7 of the UN Charter titled 'Measures to be Taken Against Threats to Peace, Violations of Peace and Acts of Aggression'. The Security Council, adopting resolutions 1368 and 1373, agreed to support the Organization's efforts against terrorism with all its might.  In October 2001, a 'Policy Working Group' on terrorism was established within the United Nations. While the group in question reveals the international tools that can be used to carry out the fight against terrorism in an effective and fruitful manner, it also strives to ensure that human rights are not harmed during this struggle. The United Nations makes various arrangements to prevent terrorist activities in the world, but these regulations are not at the expected level. In the reports of the conventions prepared by the UN and the working groups it has established, it is seen that a comprehensive definition of terrorism has still not been made. "Many agreements made under the umbrella of the UN have made arrangements to prevent terrorism; But none of them defined terrorism. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism (1937) was also an agreement made during the League of Nations period, but could not be put into effect.

Terrorist organizations need external support in order to ensure their continuity, and countries need international cooperation in order to be successful in the fight against terrorism. Therefore, countries fighting terrorism try to prevent terrorism with domestic legal rules, while at the same time supporting the efforts to prevent terrorism on the international platform. On the other hand, although countries express their opposition to terrorism and agree that terrorism should be fought, important disagreements on some issues prevent reconciliation as a result of negotiations. Therefore, we do not say that countries have achieved the expected goal, because "a phenomenon that is seen as terrorism in some countries can be perceived by another country as guerrilla warfare, the liberation struggle of an ethnic group, or a low-intensity war."

EUROPEAN UNION AND TERRORISM

On September 11, 2001, the fact that the United States, which is the center of the world and perhaps has the greatest power in the international arena, fell victim to terrorism and suffered great losses, caused repercussions and alarmed other countries. Undoubtedly, EU countries have been the most affected by the terrorist attacks in the USA; After all, member states have a bad experience with terrorist attacks that have taken place in different periods. In other words, the attacks of September 11 marked the beginning of a new era in the comprehensive fight against terrorism for the EU; The countries of the Union have started to carry out up-to-date studies; They have made a number of legal arrangements in the fields of internal and external security. In this context, one of the most important decisions taken by the EU is the "Framework Decision" adopted in 2002. The Framework Decision amends the complex and delayed extradition procedure between states. However, there is no direct definition of terrorism in its content; In the regulations regarding criminal acts, the conceptual framework is sufficient. As a result, with the adoption of the Framework Decision, there has been uncertainty about which terrorist acts will constitute a crime. In this respect, it is an important point that the expression "terrorist group" was included instead of the organization in the decision in question. Acts that should be punished according to the Framework Decision; "To lead a terrorist organization, to support a terrorist organization, to provide financial assistance to this organization, to contribute to the provision of information and material resources, or to take part in this organization."  Most of the EU member states did not have regulations on terrorism, and in order to overcome this situation, the EU has adopted a Framework Decision to bring the legislation of the countries closer and to cooperate. In general, the purpose of the Decision is for member states to adopt a specific legislation against terrorism and to develop a common policy as a result.

CSCE AND TERRORISM

The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which was established to establish a dialogue between the Eastern and Western blocs during the Cold War, became a permanent dialogue platform with the Paris Charter signed in 1990 and turned into the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Organization, which still has 55 members, is actively working to eliminate the crises that have arisen. After the September 1l attacks, the OSCE recognized the importance of coordination in counter-terrorism efforts and quickly prepared an Action Plan. The Bucharest Anti-Terrorism Action Plan, adopted by the OSCE Council of Ministers on 4 December 2001, envisaged the creation of the Action Against Terrorism Unit (ATU). Together with the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ATU contributes to the development of counter-terrorism projects. With the OSCE Charter on Preventing and Combating Terrorism, adopted at the Council of Ministers held in Porto in 2002, the OSCE has outlined the main framework of its struggle in this field. In addition, the "Decision on the Implementation of OSCE Obligations and Activities in the Fight against Terrorism" emphasized the risk of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists; It has identified police activities, border security, the movement of terrorists and the prevention of terrorist financing as strategic areas in the fight against terrorism.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND TERRORISM

In response to the attacks on the Twin Towers in the United States on 11 September 2001, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the 109th Session of the Council of Europe on 8 November 2001. At its session, it decided to establish the International Multilateral Counter-Terrorism Group (GMT). On the end of its mandate in 2003, GMT was replaced by a second intergovernmental committee of experts, the Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER). The aim of CODEXTER, which meets twice a year, is to facilitate the implementation of the Council of Europe Conventions on combating terrorism and to identify gaps in international law in the field of combating terrorism. Acting for this purpose, CODEXTER has identified gaps in international law regarding the praise of terrorism and/or incitement to terrorism and has worked to prepare a new Council of Europe Draft Convention that will be based on respect for human rights, while strengthening legal initiatives in this regard.  As a result of CODEXTER's efforts, the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism was opened for signature on 16 May 2005 and entered into force on 1 June 2007. The aim of the Convention is to increase efforts to prevent terrorism and its negative effects on the enjoyment of human rights at the national and international level. For this purpose, terrorist crimes are mentioned in the Convention, the responsibility of those who participate in these crimes and legal entities is evaluated, and it is aimed to protect the victims of terrorism. In this sense, the convention mainly includes preventive measures against terrorism and the protection of victims of terrorism.

THE IMPACT OF TERRORISM ON THE ECONOMY

Terrorism negatively affects economic development and social life with the climate of fear and loss of life caused by terrorist attacks. The phenomenon of terrorism, which refers to the use of all kinds of violence against civilians, official and general administrations by intimidation, threats or fear in order to achieve ideological, religious or political goals, is among the most important problems of today. These initiatives, which involve the use of violence, bring significant costs not only in the social and political spheres, but also in the economic field. Terrorism often disrupts the balance of the international system and causes great damage to economic performance. The reason why the economy is targeted is that it is the most important indicator of the success of the state. Even the smooth functioning of the economy in a country can be enough for the state to maintain its effectiveness. While the weak economic structure in the country makes it easier for terrorist organizations to direct that society and state wherever they want, it can cause panic and anarchy to prevail in a collapsing economy. Terrorist acts directly affect the economies of the regions they affect and cause negative consequences in terms of production factors. It is observed that terrorist acts target many sectors that will ensure the economic development of the state and inflict heavy blows on the economies of the countries. At the same time, since terrorism creates an environment of insecurity, it causes an increase in the costs of commercial relations. Therefore, it leads to changes in the production and consumption movements of countries. Terrorism has a negative impact on trade with the environment of insecurity it causes. At the same time, terrorists aim to damage the goods or modes of transportation, which are the locomotives of countries' trade, leading to the disruption of industrial supply and the disruption of partial transportation situations. The fact that terrorist incidents in the Middle East cause oil exports to pause shows how effective terrorist incidents can be on the global economy.

THE IMPACT OF TERRORISM ON THE SOCIETY

Terrorism seeks to rule by changing the social structure by using the means of violence. The most important elements of violence they use are intimidation, intimidation and intimidation. In line with their goals, they take the society hostage by using this weapon of violence that does not know the rules. In this context, they want to attack the social institutions that create a society, such as religion, education, army, media, economy, politics and family, first to wear them down and finally to render them dysfunctional. Terrorist organizations want to design the social structure in line with their goals, especially by using violent methods. By hypnotizing the society with the methods of violence they use, they create a society that only does what is said, pacifies, does not react to injustices and does not object. Through violence, the distances that would take years of change and transformation in society can be taken in a short time. Thus, even anti-democratic issues that were previously completely opposed by the people are accepted without objection in this atmosphere of fear. The change in social values causes the social balance to deteriorate. In these periods, society almost seems to have lost its common sense and consciousness. Terrorism not only causes sudden social changes and consequently a crisis of confidence, chaos and confusion with the dysfunction of social norms, but also prevents individuals from integrating into society. The erosion of social values by acts of violence and terrorism leads to criticism of value judgments that ensure social integration. Elements such as language, traditions, customs, customs and traditions, folk procedure, art and literature that make up the culture of the society ensure the continuation of the existence of the society and social integration. Harming these elements through terrorism causes the social bond to weaken. It will be easier for societies whose cultural ties have been severed and damaged to accept alternative ideologies that will be presented by terrorist organizations. These destructive effects of terrorism on society have permanent harmful effects on both public health and the relations between the state and society.

A GLOBAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATION: AL-QAEDA

Al-Qaeda is at the top of the list of terrorist organizations of many states and international organizations around the world. It is also directly or indirectly allied with terrorist organizations such as the Taliban, Al-Shabaab, Jaish-e-Mohammed. Al-Qaeda has a global structure and it is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 people in the world who define themselves as members of al-Qaeda, and half of this figure consists of experienced staff. The most effective aspect is that it has a high capacity to operate, as in the case of September 11. Al-Qaeda, which means 'Establishment, foundation' in Arabic, is an organization of Wahhabi origin that is at the extremism of Sunni Islam. The organization was founded in Pakistan in 1988 by Osama bin Laden of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed Atif of Egypt. 

STRUCTURE OF AL-QAEDA

In 1998, Osama bin Laden introduced what would later become al-Qaeda as the World Islamic Front to fight Jews and Crusaders. With this, he declared a war against the West and the order dominated by the USA. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the ideologue of the organization, whom Osama bin Laden met when he saw Afghanistan as a base where the Taliban was trying to dominate, explained the strategies of first removing the US forces from the region and establishing a caliphate, and then fighting the caliphate against the West and the USA. At the head of the organization is an Emir and, subordinately to him, the Secretary and the Deputy. The order is the authority of the organization. The order is that the proxies act, he can leave some matters to the proxy. The Order and the Secretary are appointed by the Order. Apart from these, the Committee Council is the highest decision-making body, and this committee organizes and supervises the activities of the organization. He is considered the highest authority after the Order and the Deputy. Another committee is the Military Committee. It makes all the planning of the military activities to be carried out. Apart from this, the organization has a Finance Committee, a Political Committee and Media Committees. Al-Qaeda is structured as a private organization. The fact that it has a separate committee on each subject is an expression of specialization in its fields, as well as proof that it is not only a local structure. Al-Qaeda's structuring and operation in this way has facilitated its existence in many places globally.

AL QAEDA'S ACTIONS GLOBALLY

It would be an appropriate statement to say that with the September 11 attacks, al-Qaeda carried out the most resounding attack on a global scale among the terrorist organizations before and after it. Since its inception, al-Qaeda has carried out attacks targeting the West and its collaborators in many parts of the world and has murdered many innocent people.

The most striking of these are; It carried out many attacks targeting the US Consulates in Kenya and Tanzania on 7 August 1998, the US destroyer USS Cole on 12 October 2000, two synagogues and the British Consulate and HSCB in Istanbul on 15 and 20 November 2003, trains in Madrid on 11 March 2004, and subways in London on 7 July 2005. Nearly 600 people lost their lives in these attacks. In addition to these actions of al-Qaeda, there were numerous actions carried out by al-Qaeda between 1998 and 2011. Especially after September 11, there has been an increase in the number of actions. After Osama bin Laden was killed, it would be possible to say that there was a decrease in the number of actions of Al Qaeda.  Al-Qaeda's extensive terrorist network has made it easier for it to manifest itself in different regions. The internationalization of al-Qaeda has prompted some states around the world to make joint decisions.

CONCLUSION

In this research, first of all, the background of the concept of terrorism and its effects in today's world are mentioned. Terrorism cannot be eradicated, but it is a phenomenon that can be minimized. The binding nature of the decisions taken by the international system against terrorism and the robustness of the steps taken within the scope of the fight against terrorism were emphasized.  The fact that terrorism does not have a common meaning has led to different explanations and interpretations of the concept of terrorism between states. It would not be a lie to say that the inability of states to come together under the umbrella of common ideas leads to the rapid spread of terrorism in the global arena. The most important weapon to stop and combat the spread of globalized terrorism is international cooperation and law. However, what is necessary to fulfill them is a more just, prosperous and transparent world. The end of terrorist acts and the complete cessation of financial resources to terrorism will eliminate the risk of terrorism in the future and will cause the international system to function in a more secure way.

SOURCES

-https://doi.org/10.52642/susbed.1096953

-https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/

-https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_50313.htm

- https://www.visionofhumanity.org/maps/global-terrorism-index/#/

- https://doi.org/10.21544/1809-3191.v25n3.p643-673 

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