Abstract:

The fact that the energy issue has formed an important area of the international system in recent years is directly related to the fact that it can affect the stability of the country’s economies. It is a fact that the problems in the economy carry a serious risk for both national security and social well-being. The energy issue has been one of the causes of tensions between the European Union and Russia since the beginning of the 2000s. In particular, the natural gas-based crises between Russia and Ukraine have directly affected the European countries and brought the issue of energy security back on the agenda. Russia's supplier position and the transit country position of Ukraine has become questioned by Europe. This is inevitable for Turkey to be influenced by the developments in the Black Sea. Turkey’s externally dependent structure in the energy field is important in shaping its energy diplomacy according to its geopolitical position. In the course of the Russian-Ukrainian natural gas crises in 2006 and 2009, Turkey built its energy diplomacy on the idea that Ukraine could not provide sufficient energy security and that it could be the best alternative to this situation. This study tries to reveal the attitude of Turkey in these tensions between Russia and the EU and the role it plays between the two sides.

Keywords: