Abstract:

According to Protocol 10 signed by the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCAC) on 1 May 2004 with the European Union, the EU acquis has been suspended in the northern part of the island (in the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC]). All of the island is regarded as European Union land. (EULP, 2003) The Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, relying on the fact that it is a member state of the European Union, and also benefiting from a strong Greek lobby in the United States (USA), is claiming the Exclusive Economic Zone of the entire Cyprus island according to the United Nations Maritime Law Convention of 1982. (ABLOS, 2003) The existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey's 1960 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are not accepted. Further, in 2004, the Greek Cypriot Administration one-sidedly declared Exclusive Economic Zones to cover the whole of the island. (Ellinas, 2017: 1) This new energy problem has been added to the political disputes already in existence since 1963. The cooperation negotiations between Israel, the Greek Cypriot Administration and the Greek government are ongoing to move the natural gas from Israel's Exclusive Economic Zone through Cyprus, Greece, Albania and Italy to the the Liquid Natural Gas Center in Vienna in the EU (EUPIS, 2018). The Astana Agreement signed between Russia, Turkey and Iran as the de facto guarantors of the cease-fire agreement in Syria’s unfinished internal conflict (which began in 2011) in accordance with international law has led to the change of balance in the region. The United States, the EU, China and France have all been involved in natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and have been taking initiatives to serve their own interests, bringing demands to the Greek Cypriot Administration to use military bases or air and sea ports. The Greek Cypriot Administration having made agreements with France and Russia concerning sea and air ports, has launched efforts to create a force to protect itself against Turkey. The fact that the US has officially demanded a base in the territory of Southern Cyprus and that the negotiations have already begun in this direction have led to the rebalancing of the power balance. This study is aimed at analyzing the regenerating power balance in the region. Keywords: Eastern Mediterranean, EEZ, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Israel.

Keywords: