EU, US, and TURKEY in THE CAUCASUS: IS THERE A CLASH OF INTERESTS?

Authors : Nadir DEVLET

Pages : 127-136

View : 19 | Download : 11

Publication Date : 2002-12-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Although the maln plnyer in the Caucasus is still the Russian Federation, it is not just neighboring powers such as Iran and Turkey, but also the EU and the US that have started showing their interest in the region during the last decade -  namely. after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  There is a lot of evidence us to how Russia influenced the South Caucasus in the past. Significantly, this influence still affects t he politics, economies and social life of the region. A new player, however, began to influence the regional situation in a number of important ways. Each party involved in the region has its own interests, but the key interest that every player has could be summarized as a desire to get a larger share of the region`s energy resources. It wou ld appear that Turkey, being a NATO  partner and a close ally of the US, doesn`t have serious conflicts with the US in the South Caucasus, America`s more active involvement in the region after September 11, 2000, will force all parties to re-examine their policies toward the region. It seems, however, that some of the EU projects in the South Caucasus either leave Turkey aside or have been prepared without taking Turkey`s interests into consideration. 
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