International Security

International security, as one of the fundamental subfields of international relations, is a concept whose scope has expanded over time and been reinterpreted through various theoretical frameworks, focusing on the security of states and other actors. In its classical sense, international security was associated with a state’s capacity to protect its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political stability against external threats. However, especially after the Cold War, this narrow framework was challenged, and security began to be approached through a multidimensional perspective that incorporates diverse actors. During this period, some studies used security to denote the condition of individuals and societies being free from threat at an ontological level. The presence of a threat generates a need for security, and security policies aim to neutralize this threat. In this context, the concepts of national and international security are shaped within the triangle of power, interest, and threat.

Historical Development

The notion of international security gained a political reference point especially with the 1947 National Security Act enacted in the United States after World War II. With this law, security ceased to be merely a descriptive concept and became one of the foundational pillars for policy formulation.

Throughout the Cold War, the perception of security focused primarily on strategic competition among major powers, largely due to the destructive potential of nuclear weapons. During this period, security studies were largely shaped around military deterrence, arms races, and alliance politics. While Realism dominated the literature of this era, alternative approaches remained marginal.

Conceptual Expansion and Theoretical Diversity

From the 1980s onward, the concept of security expanded both in content and in its referent object. This transformation can be explained through two main processes: “widening” and “deepening.” Widening refers to the inclusion of non-military threats—such as environmental, economic, social, and cyber threats—on the security agenda, moving beyond the traditional focus on military dangers. Deepening argues that security should not be confined to the state level but can also be analyzed at the level of individuals, communities, and humanity as a whole.

Among the new approaches that emerged during this period, Human Security, Critical Security Studies, Feminist Security Approaches, and the Copenhagen School gained prominence. In particular, Human Security placed the individual at the center of security, redefining issues such as hunger, poverty, environmental disasters, and health threats as legitimate security concerns.

Core Concepts of Security Policy

The formulation of international security policies is based on key elements including threat perception, national interests, power capacity, and legitimacy. These elements are often shaped within the framework of political theories. Realist approaches define security in terms of the balance of power, interest conflicts, and deterrence, while liberal approaches argue that security can be achieved through cooperation, institutions, and mutual interdependence. Marxist and critical approaches, by contrast, link security to global inequalities and structural violence, offering a more radical critique.