Energy and foreign policy: Conflict and cooperation dynamics in South Caucasia

The South Caucasus region, which is rife with ethnic conflicts in the post-Cold war period, has its own place in international relations literature because of its own rich energy resources. The pipeline projects, which have significantly contributed to the energy security of the states in the South Caucasus region since their independency, have also become part of the struggle for power, with the support of Western global powers. The aim of the thesis is to reveal the current situation of conflict and cooperation dynamics within the context of energy security and foreign policy in the case of South Caucasus and to analyze the relationship between existing energy resources, and related projects and regional cooperation, and conflict dynamics. The nature of the conflicts that emerged in the Caucasus region from the post-Cold War era and still continue and the reasons for the failure to achieve a solution and their current situation will be examined. Beside the relations between region countries, the struggle to control energy resources will be analyzed at the international system level by explaining the competition between the great powers that are influential on the region