The Role of Pipeline Projects in Caspian Region Geopolitics and GeoeconomicsAfter the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many countries including five Turkish Republics gained independence in the Caspian Region. Because of its rich hydrocarbon reserves, the Caspian Region became the focus of regional and global powers. The global and regional actors struggled to enhance their influence over the geography where these resources are located and over the routes that these resources are transported to international markets to increase their energy supply security by pipelines. In this paper, the role of pipeline projects in Caspian Region geopolitics and geoeconomics was analyzed.For this aim, international power struggle over hydrocarbon resources in Caspian Region was investigated. “The new great game”, which started as a result of the power struggle among the regional and global actors to fill the power vacuum created by the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Eurasia, was evaluated. Pipeline projects, which were developed to transport Caspian Region hydrocarbon resources to international markets such as the Nabucco, Baku-Tiflis-Ceyhan, Baku-Tiflis-Erzurum, Central AsiaChina, South Stream, and Kazakhstan-China were analyzed. It is expected that oil pipeline projects will continue to be strategic elements in Caspian Region geopolitics and geoeconomics. It is estimated that geopolitical importance of hydrocarbon-rich countries and countries on transportation routes will increase.
Özet
Sovyetler Birliği'nin yıkılmasından sonra Hazar bölgesinde beş Türki cumhuriyetin de bulunduğu birçok ülke bağımsız hale geldiler. Bölgenin zengin hidrokarbon rezervleri küresel ve bölgesel aktörlerin bölgeye olan ilgilerini arttırmıştır. Küresel ve bölgesel aktörler bölgede bulunan hidrokarbon rezervlerini boru hatları yoluyla kendi uluslararası pazarlarına yönlendirmek ve kendi enerji arzı güvenlikleri için mücadele vermişlerdir. Bu çalışmada boru hattı projelerinin Hazar bölgesi jeoekonomisi ve jeostratjisi üzerindeki rolü analiz edilmiştir.
Bu bağlamda Hazar bölgesindeki hidrokarbon rezervleri üzerindeki uluslararası güç mücadeleleri araştırılmıştır. Sovyetler Birliği'nin Avrasya'dan çekilmesiyle oluşan güç boşluğunun oluşmuş ve “Yeni Büyük Oyun” başlamıştır. Nabucco, Bakü-Tiflis-Erzurum, Merkez Asya- Çin, Güney Akım gibi boru hattı projeleri Hazar bölgesinin hidrokarbon rezervlerinin uluslararası pazarlara nakli için geliştirilmiştir.
Boru hattı projeleri, Hazar bölgesinin jeopolitik ve jeoekonomisi için stratejik olacakları tahmin edilmektedir. Hidrokarbon rezervleri bakımından zengin olan ülkelerin jeopolitik önemlerinin artacağı beklenmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Boru hatları, enerji, jeopolitik, jeoekonomi, Avrasya, Hazar.
Abstract
The Role of Pipeline Projects in Caspian Region Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many countries including five Turkish
Republics gained independence in the Caspian Region. Because of its rich hydrocarbon
reserves, the Caspian Region became the focus of regional and global powers. The
global and regional actors struggled to enhance their influence over the geography
where these resources are located and over the routes that these resources are transported
to international markets to increase their energy supply security by pipelines. In this
paper, the role of pipeline projects in Caspian Region geopolitics and geoeconomics
was analyzed.
For this aim, international power struggle over hydrocarbon resources in Caspian
Region was investigated. “The new great game”, which started as a result of the power
struggle among the regional and global actors to fill the power vacuum created by the
withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Eurasia, was evaluated. Pipeline projects, which
were developed to transport Caspian Region hydrocarbon resources to international
markets such as the Nabucco, Baku-Tiflis-Ceyhan, Baku-Tiflis-Erzurum, Central Asia-
China, South Stream, and Kazakhstan-China were analyzed.
It is expected that oil pipeline projects will continue to be strategic elements in
Caspian Region geopolitics and geoeconomics. It is estimated that geopolitical
importance of hydrocarbon-rich countries and countries on transportation routes will
increase.
Keywords: Pipelines, energy, geopolitics, geoeconomy, Eurasia, Caspian
Birincil Dil | Türkçe |
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Bölüm | Makaleler |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 29 Ağustos 2013 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2013 Cilt: 2 Sayı: 1 |