MEDITERRANEAN SECURITY IN THE LIGHT OF TURKISH CONCERNS

Abstract

The content of Mediterranean security has varied both in time and space. In the days of the bipolar world and the Cold War, the definition and the content of Mediterranean security appeared to be relatively easy to establish. The Soviet Union was perceived to be the major security concern. Mediterranean security was simply preventing the Soviets from establishing a dominant position as an ideological or a military power in the Mediterranean basin. Nowadays, the days of ‘hard security’ problems are thought to be behind us. Simultaneously, Mediterranean countries are faced with a number of problems which have come to be summarily referred to as ‘soft security’ concerns.