Against the background of significant developments in the Eastern Mediterranean in the field of the exploitation of hydrocarbons over the last years which led to the formation of new alliances as well as το a shift of powers, the paper analyses first of all Turkey’s interventionism as a regional power and, as a consequence of that, what this new power constellation in the Eastern Mediterranean means for both national security and the geostrategic priorities of Greece and Cyprus. The paper focuses on the question, under which conditions the double trilateral relations between Greece, Cyprus and Israel as well as between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt could be developed to a stabilising factor in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, thus, enhancing the geostrategic position of the two countries. The paper underlines that this can only be achieved, if the double trilateral relations can be upgraded to a real alliance, able to convince the international community of its stabilising capacities in a region, in which the external policies of Turkey turn increasingly to be a destabilising factor.
Working Paper 58/2014: Developments in Eastern Mediterranean: The role of Turkey and strategic priorities for Greece and Cyprus
Author: Dr Angelos Giannakopoulos