NEW POLITICAL BALANCES IN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN Cover Image

DOĞU AKDENİZ’DE YENİ SİYASİ DENGELER
NEW POLITICAL BALANCES IN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Author(s): Yurdagül Atun, Ata Atun
Subject(s): Politics, Economy, Geography, Regional studies, Energy and Environmental Studies, Geopolitics
Published by: Sage Yayınları
Keywords: Turkey; Cyprus; Syria; Russia; Eastern Mediterranean; Energy;

Summary/Abstract: All of the island is regarded as European Union land. (EU, 2003) The Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, relying on the fact that it is a member state of the European Union, and also benefiting from a strong Greek lobby in the United States (USA), is claiming Exclusive Economic Zones of the entire Cyprus Island according to the United Nations Maritime Law Convention of 1982. (ABLOS, 2003) The existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey's 1960 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are not accepted. Further, in 2004, the Greek Cypriot Administration one-sidedly declared Exclusive Economic Zones to cover the whole of the island. (Ellinas, 2017: 1) The Astana Agreement signed between Russia, Turkey and Iran as the de facto guarantors of the ceasefire agreement in Syria’s unfinished internal conflict (which began in 2011) in accordance with international law has led to the change of balance in the region. The United States, the EU, China and France have all been involved in natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and have been taking initiatives to serve their own interests, bringing the demands of the Greek Cypriot Administration to use military bases or air and sea ports. The Greek Cypriot Administration having made agreements with France and Russia concerning sea and air ports, has launched efforts to create a force to protect itself against Turkey. The fact that the US has officially demanded a base in the territory of Southern Cyprus and that the negotiations have already begun in this direction have led to the rebalancing of the power balance. This study is aimed at analyzing the regenerating power balance in the region.

  • Issue Year: 10/2018
  • Issue No: 39
  • Page Range: 7-14
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: Turkish