Energy Discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean: Conflict or Cooperation?

The discovery of oil and naturalgas in the Middle East the beginning of the twentieth changed the fate of the. From a backwater of international, the Middle East became central international strategic rivalries. Almost century later, energy discoveries in the Mediterranean are unlikely to about such tectonic shifts in the strategic of the Levant. Yet they have a fresh interest in their potential on existing regional disputes and constellations. recent discovery of sizable quantities natural gas in the seabed between and Cyprus has added to the complexity international politics in the. Cyprus and Israel are expected to the first two states to benefit, as they already signed large contracts for and drilling projects that would turn them into net energy exporters. possibility of discovering further reserves has revived the question of the exclusive economic zones(EEZs) of all littoral states in the Eastern and added one potential dispute. Turkey’s role has been , not only because it is one of the’s littoral states and a large energy, but also because it could serve as transport hub for the delivery of extracted to the world market., the Cyprus question, disputes the delineation of the EEZ and’s frozen relations with Israel have regional cooperation, despite the effect that it could have, not least European energy security.