Illegal annexation of Crimea and Türkiye's Crimea policy

The invasion of Crimea in 2014 has permanently changed the balance of power in the Black Sea, and it has significantly increased Russia's sphere of influence in the Black Sea. After the invasion, Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea violated international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. One of the countries that is affected by the invasion and the illegal annexation is Türkiye, which has the longest coastline in the Black Sea. Türkiye is directly affected by the invasion since Crimea is the center of the Black Sea and has many geopolitical advantages and limitations. Therefore, this thesis aims to explain Türkiye's changing perspective and policies towards the Black Sea in the post-2014 environment. In that respect, Türkiye's place in NATO activities, developments in Turkish-Russian relations, and Türkiye's cooperation with the Black Sea littoral states (especially Ukraine) are discussed separately in the thesis in order to explain Türkiye's new place and policies in the Black Sea. Additionally, geopolitical features of Crimea are discussed to explain the invasion of Crimea by Russia and Crimea's importance for Türkiye, and the historical evolution of Türkiye's Black Sea policy is presented to better explain the current situation in the Black Sea. For the Crimean conflict, which is evaluated as a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia in general, this thesis has developed a new and more accurate perspective on the conflict by presenting Türkiye as the third and key actor in the conflict. In addition to the geopolitical importance of Crimea, Türkiye's ethno-cultural ties with the Crimean Tatars and the effect of the Crimean Tatar diaspora on Türkiye's policy-making are explained in the thesis. Briefly, this thesis discusses the invasion and the illegal annexation of Crimea from the perspective of Türkiye and Türkiye's interests in the Black Sea.