The Analysis of the Political Context of the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Debate in Relation to Cyprus Problem
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE CYPRUS HYDROCARBONS DEBATE IN RELATION TO CYPRUS PROBLEM A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY EMĠNE EMĠNEL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS JANUARY 2016 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha AltunıĢık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. Özlem Tür Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science/Arts/Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. Oktay Tanrısever Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Meliha AltunıĢık (METU, IR) Prof. Dr. Oktay Tanrısever (METU,IR) Prof. Dr. Kudret Özersay (EMU, PSIR) Assoc. Prof. Dr. KürĢad Ertuğrul (METU, PSPA) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taylan Özgur Kaya ( Konya N. E. Uni, IR) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: Emine Eminel Signature: iii ABSTRACT THE ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE CYPRUS HYDROCARBONS DEBATE IN RELATION TO CYPRUS PROBLEM Eminel, Emine Ph.D. Department of International Relations Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Oktay Tanrısever January 2016, 346 pages The discovery of new energy sources around Cyprus has created an interest in questioning the role of these resources; whether they will promote peace or exacerbate the existing tensions in the region. On that axis where energy and politics intersect, the Cyprus problem now holds a significant energy dimension which deserves to be explored carefully. With this understanding, this thesis is exploring Cyprus hydrocarbons issue by looking at energy related developments and related parties policies towards eastern Mediterranean on energy issues and the ways in which these policies are related to the Cyprus problem. The aim is to understand what the recent hydrocarbon related developments tell us about the geopolitics of energy in eastern Mediterranean and the dynamics of the Cyprus problem within that new geopolitical reality. This thesis maintains the significance of examining the contexts in which hydrocarbons debate emerge in Cyprus. It eventually argues that viewing the link between the Cyprus problem and the Cyprus hydrocarbons issue requires looking at sovereignty and territoriality dimensions of the conflict in Cyprus. The positions of Turkey, the RoC and TRNC, and the international community towards the oil and gas efforts around Cyprus reveal the predominance of these concepts in shaping the course of the energy developments in the region. In terms of whether the findings will excarbete the existing conflict in Cyprus or will create the grounds for cooperation; this thesis noticed that analysed arguments and positions on Cyprus hydrocarbons debate almost completely overlap with related actors‘ existing conflictual positions. Keywords: Cyprus Problem, Eastern Mediterranean Hydrocarbons, Energy Politics, Energy Geopolitics iv ÖZ KIBRIS HĠDROKARBON TARTIġMASININ KIBRIS PROBLEMĠ ĠLE ĠLĠġKĠLĠ OLARAK POLĠTĠK BAĞLAMININ ĠNCELENMESĠ Eminel, Emine Doktora Derecesi. Uluslararası ĠliĢkiler Bölümü DanıĢman: Prof. Dr. Oktay Tanrısever Ocak 2016, 346 sayfa Kıbrıs açıklarında yeni enerji kaynaklarının keĢfedilmesi bu kaynakların bölgeye barıĢ mı getireceği yoksa mevcut uyuĢmazlıkları mı derinleĢtireceği noktasında rolünün sorgulanması açısından bir ilgi yaratmıĢtır. Kesin olan Ģudur ki, Kıbrıs sorunu, enerji ve politikanın kesiĢtiği eksende, incelenmeye değer bir hidrokarbon boyutu kazanmıĢtır. Bu anlayıĢ çerçevesinde, bu tez Kıbrıs hidrokarbon meselesini bölgede enerji ile alakalı geliĢmelere ve ilgili tarafların Doğu Akdeniz enerji konuları ile iliĢkili politikalarına bakarak derinlemesine incelemektedir. Nihayetinde bu politikaların Kıbrıs Sorunu ile iliĢkili yanları ortaya çıkarılmaya çalıĢılmaktadır. Buradaki amaç, son dönemlerdeki hidrokarbon geliĢmelerinin, Doğu Akdeniz‘de enerji jeopolitiği tartıĢmalarına yansımalarını anlamaktır. Kıbrıs sorunu dinamiklerinin bu yeni jeopolitik tartıĢmalar ıĢığında nasıl yoğrulduğuna iliĢkin çıkarımlarda bulunmak bu anlamda son derece önemlidir. Bu tez hidrokarbon tartıĢmalarının ortaya çıktığı bağlamı incelemenin önemine vurgu yapmaktadır. Bu anlamda, Kıbrıs sorunu ile Kıbrıs hidrokarbonları arasındaki iliĢkinin ortaya konabilmesi için Kıbrıs Sorunu‘na iliĢkin egemenlik tartıĢmalarına bakmakta fayda vardır. Türkiye, Kıbrıs Cumhuryeti, KKTC ve uluslararası aktörlerin Kıbrıs açıklarındaki hidrokarbon arayıĢına iliĢkin pozisyonları, bölgedeki enerji geliĢmelerinin ne ölçüde egemenlik tartıĢmaları üzerinden ilerlediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Konuya hidrokarbon keĢiflerinin çatıĢma mı yaratacağı yoksa iĢbirliğine mi iteceği bağlamında bakıldığı zaman, bu çalıĢma yukarıda belirtilen aktörlerin mesele ile ilgili pozisyonlarının daha ziyade mevcut uyuĢmazlıklar üzerinden Ģekillendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Kıbrıs Sorunu, Doğu Akdeniz Hidrokarbonları, Enerji Politiği, Enerji Jeopolitiği v To my husband & my parents vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express her deepest gratitude to her supervisor Prof. Dr. Oktay Tanrısever and rest of the committiee members for their guidance, advice, criticism, encouragements and insight throughout the research. The author would also like to thank Ayla Gürel for her suggestions and comments. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... iv ÖZ ................................................................................................................................ v DEDICATION ........................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. xiii LIST OF MAPS ........................................................................................................ xiv LIST OF ABBREVATIONS ..................................................................................... xv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Aims, Motives and Rationale of the Study ............................................... 5 1.3 Statement of the Problem ......................................................................... 8 1.4 Literature Review and the Focus of the Study ........................................ 11 1.5 The Main Argument of the Thesis .......................................................... 27 1.6 Methodological Considerations ............................................................... 27 1.7 Structure of the Study .............................................................................. 31 1.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 32 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE THESIS- ENERGY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORIES ............................................ 33 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 33 2.2 Energy and IR Theories- Realist Thought/ Classical Geopolitics ........... 35 2.3 Energy and IR Theories- Neoliberal Institutionalism ............................. 44 2.4 Are Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons displaying the logic of interdependence or a competitive dynamic? .......................................... 48 2.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 51 viii 3. THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HYDROCARBON DISCOVERIES IN CYPRUS AND IN BROADER EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION ..................................................................... 53 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 53 3.2 Recent Explorations and Discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region ..................................................................................................... 55 3.2.1 Cyprus ......................................................................................... 55 3.2.2 Egypt ........................................................................................... 57 3.2.3 Israel ............................................................................................ 59 3.2.4 The Palestinian Authority ............................................................ 62 3.2.5 Lebanon ....................................................................................... 62 3.2.6 Syria ............................................................................................