Effects of the US Foreign Policy Shifts on the Eastern Mediterranean Region

This thesis will evaluate how changes in US foreign policy during 2000s may affect the countries within the Eastern Mediterranean region. Recent shifts in the US Foreign Policy, where the US decided to lift the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus through the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 could bolster the Greek Cypriot's power and reshape the geopolitical context. My hypothesis is that this recent foreign policy shift will increase tensions within Cyprus and between Cyprus and other nations in the Eastern Mediterranean region. As the United States makes its foreign policy decisions based on its self-interests, this research will touch up on the neo-realism of Kenneth Waltz and will be assessed through the offensive realism of John Mearsheimer. It will touch upon historical and recent events where the US used buck-passing strategies to achieve its national interests. The study will concentrate on how US foreign policy is formulated and the factors that influence US foreign policy choices. The design of the research will be based on qualitative analysis to identify perspectives of the major powers involved within the Eastern Mediterranean region. The limitation of this research is that alternative hypotheses can exist where the US decision to lift the arms embargo leads to tensions dissolving within the region or there being a much more even dynamic regarding the Cyprus Conflict. Overall, this thesis will provide insight into how recent US foreign policy shifts can shape the regional relations among the nations within the Eastern Mediterranean region and provide assumptions about possible future scenarios.