Law of International Relations

By Cenap Çakmak

Onikilevha Publishing House, İstanbul, 2024

The objective of this book is to underscore the importance of comprehending international law, despite its apparent ineffectiveness or futility. In doing so, I have attempted to consider the tendency of individuals specializing in international law to laud it. The truth of the matter is that international law, as we understand it as a moral ideal and a deontological instrument, and as we are prepared to present it as a solution, is deserving of praise and encouragement. Therefore, we must continue to emphasize the importance of international law and the need for its implementation, with the functions and roles we attribute to it. Conversely, the international law framework, as depicted by its proponents in an idealized manner, is, in my opinion, an incomplete perspective due to its normative and prescriptive character. However, it is evident in practical international relations. When approached as a political construct, the intricacies of this framework become more comprehensible. This book begins precisely at that point. While there may be a political dimension to international law, it has yet to be identified. Numerous studies point to the political elements and parties of international law, implicitly emphasizing the need for such a discovery. The foundational premise of this approach asserts that the essence of international law is defined by the intricate dynamics of political relations, characterized by the interaction and communication between states. When reality is properly understood, it becomes clear that it is essentially and inherently lawful. When transformed into the legal conformity inherent in coordinated relations between states, it becomes possible to see how international law operates.