Abstract:

Southwest Asia, called the Middle East by Western countries, is the region where the most intense global political activity is experienced. In the region that turns into a struggle for hegemonic space, the ideological setups designed between global, regional and local power structures become operative. Although these ideological designs are different from each other, they are carried out through ethnic, religious / sectarian and ideological discourses that largely serve for economic gain. The Iran-Syria alliance can be given as an example in terms of the belief/sectarian establishment of this ideological and political economy. In the Middle East, where regional tensions almost never subside, Iran-Syria relations as a strategic value open up space for multidimensional gains through a belief/sectarian establishment. Therefore, the cooperation that Iran, which played an active role in the Syrian crisis, established and developed with communities belonging to the Arab Alawite-Shia faith/sect in Syria, has provided a gain for both sides. This regional expansion of Iran is called the "Shia Crescent" by the Sunni Arab administrations. Sharing and making active the Shia population in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and other countries of the region, especially Iran, through this belief/sect ideology is perceived as a serious threat by the Sunni administrations, which are the stakeholders of the established political system of the region. In this context, Syria is seen as the representative of the ties to be established with Shia communities from Iran to the Levant region, which is described as the northern wing of the Shia Crescent, and a setup that will dominate Iran's influence in the Middle East. In this framework, the historical and ideological relations that produced the Iran-Syria alliance, especially at the regional level, have been handled with a constructivist approach, and various predictions have been made about the political geography of the region. This study aimed to focus on Iran’s political position in Syria and the historical ties between both countries on the basis of the Shia Crescent. Therefore, on the basis of the qualitative research method, the literatüre on the research subject was examined and all developments in the region were supported by relevant scientific studies.

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