BORU HATTI PROJELERİNİN HAZAR HAVZASI JEOPOLİTİK VE JEOEKONOMİSİNDEKİ ROLÜ

Abstract

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

ÖzetSovyetler 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. AbstractThe Role of Pipeline Projects in Caspian Region Geopolitics and GeoeconomicsAfter the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many countries including five TurkishRepublics gained independence in the Caspian Region. Because of its rich hydrocarbonreserves, the Caspian Region became the focus of regional and global powers. Theglobal and regional actors struggled to enhance their influence over the geographywhere these resources are located and over the routes that these resources are transportedto international markets to increase their energy supply security by pipelines. In thispaper, the role of pipeline projects in Caspian Region geopolitics and geoeconomicswas analyzed.For this aim, international power struggle over hydrocarbon resources in CaspianRegion was investigated. “The new great game”, which started as a result of the powerstruggle among the regional and global actors to fill the power vacuum created by thewithdrawal of the Soviet Union from Eurasia, was evaluated. Pipeline projects, whichwere developed to transport Caspian Region hydrocarbon resources to internationalmarkets 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 inCaspian Region geopolitics and geoeconomics. It is estimated that geopoliticalimportance of hydrocarbon-rich countries and countries on transportation routes willincrease.Keywords: Pipelines, energy, geopolitics, geoeconomy, Eurasia, Caspian