Shifting Eastern Mediterranean Alliances (original) (raw)
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2012
This thesis investigates the geopolitical implications of the recent discoveries in Eastern Mediterranean. The beginning of the paper presents an analysis of the notion of energy security and provides a theoretical framework, according to which international relation theories approach energy security issues. We follow the traditional tripartite division: realism, liberalism, Marxism as this illustrates the main analytical framework in terms of international energy politics. Then, this paper focuses on gas energy and its prospects, scrutinizing the reasons why natural gas emerged as an important energy source in a carbon constrained world. In light of the new gas discoveries, we analyze the potential conflicts and opportunities for cooperation that have been aroused. Israel, Cyprus, Turkey are key countries in this thesis. The analysis of their interactions is grounded on the neo-realistic perspective, which prioritizes the role of the power and highlights insecurity as a constant feature of international system. Finally, we discuss how recent discoveries affect the political agenda of global actors, driven by economic and security reasons and add a new perspective in the geostrategic dimension of this unstable region.
Energy Discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean: Conflict or Cooperation?
Middle East Policy, 2014
The discovery of oil and natural gas reserves in the Middle East at the beginning of the twentieth century changed the fate of the region. From a backwater of international politics, the Middle East became central to international strategic rivalries. Almost a century later, energy discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean are unlikely to bring about such tectonic shifts in the strategic fortunes of the Levant. Yet they have generated fresh interest in their potential impact on existing regional disputes and power constellations. The recent discovery of sizable quantities of natural gas in the seabed between Israel and Cyprus has added to the complexity of international politics in the region. Cyprus and Israel are expected to be the first two states to benefit, as they have already signed large contracts for exploration and drilling projects that would soon turn them into net energy exporters. The possibility of discovering further energy reserves has revived the question of delineating the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of all littoral states in the Eastern Mediterranean and added one potential regional dispute. Turkey's role has been important, not only because it is one of the region's littoral states and a large energy importer, but also because it could serve as a transport hub for the delivery of extracted hydrocarbons to the world market. Nevertheless, the Cyprus question, disputes over the delineation of the EEZ and Turkey's frozen relations with Israel have deterred regional cooperation, despite the positive effect that it could have, not least for European energy security.
THE GAS EFFECT: ASSESSING HYDROCARBON DEVELOPMENT’S IMPACT UPON EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN POLITICS
THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: NEW DYNAMICS AND POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: NEW DYNAMICS AND POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION N. Goren (Ed.), 2018
The brief focuses on regional effects of the natural gas finds in the Eastern Mediterranean. It reviews specific gas discoveries in the region since the late 1990s, looks at their effect on regional security and on environmental policies, analyses international boundary demarcation in the region, and examines the roles of external actors – the US, EU and Russia. The chapter claims that the discoveries have yet to become a game-changing driving force of regional integration, reconciliation and closer relations with Europe, and that in some cases they even created new regional tensions. Despite this state of affairs, the chapter emphasises those areas that show potential for regional cooperation and the instances where this potential has already materialised.
The scramble for the Eastern Mediterranean. Energy and Geopolitics
2021
Over the past few years, the Eastern Mediterranean has become a major hotspot for both natural gas and geopolitical competition. Natural gas discoveries in the last decade have attracted growing interest from regional countries and beyond. However, recent escalations in tensions and outright confrontations suggest that competition goes beyond the scramble for energy.<br> Indeed, natural gas is just one of the factors that contribute to shaping security and geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has emerged as a crucial strategic area in the broader Mediterranean and the Middle East.<br> Moving from the analysis of these interconnected factors, this Report examines the strategy and the plethora of interests of regional and international players, as well as the interplay between cooperative and competitive dynamics in the region.<br> What are the geopolitical, security, and energy interests of the countries involved? What are the implications on th...
2018
Recent energy discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean have shown that the region is rich in oil and natural gas. This situation brought the problem of sharing hydrocarbon deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean. Problems related to the fair sharing of resources in the region are being discussed extensively in the international public opinion. These debates necessitate a comprehensive treatment of the developments in the region from political, economic, military, legal and energy aspects. The large energy deposits discovered in recent years in the Eastern Mediterranean basin has the capacity of affecting not only the geopolitical balances of the Mediterranean basin but also the dynamics of the vast Middle East geography. In addition to the current problems of Syria, Cyprus and Palestine in the region, therefore, the sharing trouble of the newly discovered energy resources has also been added. In this context, it is expected that the balances and security structure are changing in the region, because of the Exclusive Economic Zone disputes and conflicts between the states of the region and the willingness of the great powers such as the EU, USA and Russia to be a part of the energy equation in the Eastern Mediterranean. This work will examine the changing security dynamics and structure of the Eastern Mediterranean in the context of the sub-regional security complex in the light of recent developments in the region and try to reveal the latest situation. I would like this work to be beneficial to decision-makers, academia and related institutions, organizations and persons. Key Words: Eastern Mediterranean, energy resources, Middle East, energy discoveries, Cyprus, oil crisis, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus negotiations, Lebanon, energy wars, regional security complex, energy security, EU, Nato, US
Sharing Energy Resources of Eastern Mediterranean: Regional and Global Dynamics
The newly discovered gas sources establish a political and economic ground for the formation of regional and global alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean. Although these new discoveries have the potential to alter the functioning of politics and the economy, current and past controversies, political instability, how natural gas will be shared between countries, and competition power of countries in natural gas market prevent natural gas production and exploration at the Eastern Mediterranean bay. On the other hand, in consequence of gas explorations that in the last decade, it is expected that in the near future there will be much more regional and global playmakers in the Eastern Mediterranean. Research, development and export speed of the gas reservoirs, each and every decision to be taken by the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, will be the dynamic weighted decisions of the national energy politics and regional politics. That's why, in this study, the lead energy players in the Eastern Mediterranean and their disagreements are investigated and, the goals and targets of the global powers on the energy resources available in the Eastern Mediterranean are analysed.
The Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East have increasingly become a primary focus of interest both in Europe as well as in the global arena. Recent developments in the field of energy following the discovery of significant hydrocarbon reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean have bolstered the importance of this sub-region as a factor to be reckoned with in terms of a new balance of power in the Middle East. Against this background, the volume at hand analyzes the conditions under which energy reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean could serve to boost cooperation and peace or, on the contrary, would further complicate existing conflicts. Special emphasis is placed on the significance of these developments for European energy security and the effect on the relationship of the countries of this region to the European Union.
Energy security and geopolitical co-opetition in the Eastern Mediterranean
2020
The present work examines the key risks arising mainly on sovereignty perspective of energy security in eastern Mediterranean. Evaluation of the current situation of all states in the area is conducted, ultimately focusing on Greek-Cypriot-Turkish relations and the effect they can have on the energy security of eastern Mediterranean