Energy diplomacy and interdependency: A case study on Turkey's position in the Eastern Mediterranean

This thesis focuses on the role of eastern Mediterranean region for Turkey in terms of energy supply security and becoming an energy hub. It combines the concepts of energy security, interdependency theories, international law, and geopolitics through the lenses of energy studies and Turkish studies. Its main research question is "How energy-poor countries can increase their energy diplomacy capabilities?". The other, auxiliary research question is "How capable Turkey is in terms of energy diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean region?" By benefiting from this second, auxiliary research question, the thesis will use Turkey's position in the Eastern Mediterranean region as a case study. The main argument of the thesis is "Energy-poor countries like Turkey can improve their energy diplomacy capabilities, by benefiting from their advantageous geopolitical position and by creating interdependencies with their energy supplier countries. Extending and applying this argument to the auxiliary research question about Turkey, it can be said that Turkey has three elements, which are advantageous geopolitical position and capacity to create interdependencies of energy diplomacy capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean energy equation.