The article examines the evolution of modern Turkey’s geopolitical strategy and the role of the Black Sea transport and logistics communications in this strategy. During the first quarter of the 21st century, Turkish politicians’ ideas about Turkey’s geopolitical and geoeconomic role have evolved from an emphasis on the country’s transit functions to an awareness of its influence on energy flows in the Black Sea region, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. On the one hand, while Turkey lacks material advantages in the economic sphere due to its limited natural resources, it tries to become a major player in the global energy market, using its unique geographical position. From the point of view of energy geopolitics, such an important resource as control over the Black Sea straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles can be used by Ankara as a political argument in solving problems between Turkey, Europe, the United States and Russia. On the other hand, political upheavals in international relations directly affect Turkey due to its sensitivity to energy security issues. Ankara also remains in dire need of energy despite all its efforts to diversify energy supply. Therefore, the security of gas pipelines built by Russia in the Black Sea, political and economic relations with the Russian Federation, and the overall security of the Black Sea region are among Turkey’s most important priorities. Russia’s participation is a necessary prerequisite for Turkey to become a major regional energy hub, and not only due to Russia’s potential in the area of energy exports. Apart from profitability of any major economic project, its security is the key parameter for interested investors, and Russia and Turkey have common goals of maintaining regional stability and preventing large-scale conflicts in the Black Sea region.
Андрей Викторович Болдырев (Wed,) studied this question.