THE ARAB SPRING, SYRIA AND THE EXPECTATONS OF DEMOKRATIC TRANSITION

Can Arab Spring lead to a democratic transformation in the Middle East? What kind of a process will be necessitated by transition from oppressive and totalitarian regimes of the Middle East to the democratic ones? Is transition from oppressive and totalitarian regimes to the democratic ones a situation that will be possible through an uprising or a revolution? While democracy requires having a democratic culture rather than just accepting a regime, to what extent is the Middle East inclined to this culture? What are the priorities of the local community? It is known that in some countries ethnic and national demands take precedence of democracy and democratic demands. For instance, the most important priority of Kurds in Syria is their recognition as a national entity and their participation to Syrian government whereas Sunni Muslims in Syria essentially want to put an end to the Shiite dictatorship and to establish a majority regime under their rule. On the other hand, Christians worry that the Sunni majority government which will be potentially established after the collapse of Assad regime will not recognize their basic rights. This paper aims to discuss the Syrian reality from different perspectives in the context of Arab Spring.