TÜRKİYE’S CYPRUS POLICY AND LEGAL STANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF ENERGY GEOPOLITICS IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Le résumé fourni par la source

This study examines Türkiye’s geopolitical objectives in the Eastern Mediterranean in relation to hydrocarbon reserves discovered through offshore drilling, as well as its legal stance on the Cyprus issue. The study aims to analyze how Türkiye delineates its maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean and its relations with other regional actors within the framework of the Blue Homeland geostrategy. In this context, the study covers the historical origins of the Cyprus issue in light of energy geopolitics; the hydrocarbon reserves discovered in the region; Türkiye’s relations with Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, and Libya; and the implications of these relations for the region. This study contributes to the literature by addressing the Cyprus issue through the lens of energy geopolitics from a legal perspective and by offering a comprehensive analysis of Türkiye’s position in the Eastern Mediterranean in terms of energy competition with other regional actors. This study employs a qualitative case study design based on document analysis to examine Türkiye’s Eastern Mediterranean policy and the role of the Blue Homeland strategy in shaping regional maritime dynamics. The data were obtained from primary and secondary sources, including books, articles, and internet resources. The findings indicate that Greece's and the Greek Cypriot Administration's policy of restricting Türkiye to the Gulf of Antalya is against international law; that Türkiye adopted a policy of redefining its maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean after 2011; and that the bilateral agreement between Türkiye and Libya on the maritime boundaries (or continental shelf delimitation) of the Eastern Mediterranean, signed in 2019, changed the regional balance.

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