Energy Competition in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Panel

Energy Competition in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
The hydrocarbon reserves discovered in recent years in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea began to play a major role in re-shaping the dynamics in global energy markets as well as in the region. Such issues like the rivalry on the rights of use, the right of sovereignty and the maritime boundaries vis-a-vis the hydrocarbon exacerbates the existing tensions between the actors in the region. These new reserves turned them into energy-importers and redefine the geopolitical and strategic positions in the region. These resources are important in terms of reducing the dependency of the European Union (EU) to Russian energy supply and they are also important for assuring the energy supply diversification.

The Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GSACS) intends to exploit the EU countries’ interest by attracting international companies to the region to legitimize its own unilateral efforts, escalating the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Along with its existing energy agreements with Israel and Egypt, GSACS has also signed military agreements to strengthen their partnership. Counting on the financial support of the EU, GSACS is planning to materialize the East Mediterranean Pipeline Project which intends to transport the natural gas reserves to European markets over Greece and Italy.

Yet, the fact that the pipeline must cross over the Turkey’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC) signify the difficulties of the implementation of the East Mediterranean Pipeline Project in addition to its high cost. It can be stated that the civil war in Syria is also related to this issue and the Russian presence in Syria makes Russia as an important actor of the energy struggle in the Eastern Mediterranean. All this implies that it would be quite difficult to transport the reserves to world markets through the steps that would try to exclude Turkey. We will be happy to see you in our panel in which the latest developments escalating the tensions in the region will be discussed in terms of the political, economic, judicial, and strategic aspects of the current struggle for energy.

Thursday, ​20 December 2018
14:00-16:00

Moderator    
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir DEVELİ, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University

Panelists
Asst. Prof. Emete GÖZÜGÜZEL, Bahçeşehir Kıbrıs University
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsmail ŞAHİN, Bandırma 17 Eylül University
Prof. Dr. Erdal Tanas KARAGÖL, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University

Venue: ORSAM Conference Hall