From the disintegration of the Soviet Union to the Crimean Crisis the changing balances in the Black Sea

All along the history, wars have been shaped by the acquisition of new territories and the preservation of the lands in the direction of power and interests. In this context, in the important geographies which have advantageous economic or natural living conditions, the occurrence of conflicts lay the groundwork for the researchers to focus on geopolitical issues. Such lands are known by a problematic war record, but they have also made possible the richness of human wealth, and the possibilities for the transition of the history-shaping accumulations of civilizations and history. Thinking about the opposite of this can lead to inexplicable consequences for drawing up the parameters of a research problem for a researcher. Throughout centuries, the Black Sea, which is known for its ability to connect the continents between the world power interests and the fields in which their conflicts are experienced, also this area has been the scene of war and commerce for many empires. Among them, Turkish-Russian wars and rivalries are among the closest known examples. On the other hand, after the First World War, Ottoman and Romanov dynasty was collapsed and this situation caused to reveal strength and competition gap in the Black Sea. This power gap was filled by Soviet Union (USSR) which was founded in 1922 by the Bolsheviks in Moscow, Eastern Bloc countries which have coasts to Black sea and Turkey. The disintegration of the USSR in 1991 has created new balances in the Black Sea, as well as in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus and other competitive areas of the world. This new order, made Russia's dominance in the Black sea questionable because of Russia's tough economic and political conditions. The Western world which were aware of this power gap, has found tactical moves that will change the balances in this strategically important area. Among them, the issue of handling the Black Sea through international organizations has gained priority and is considered important. On the other hand, projects such as the EU or NATO membership of the former Eastern Bloc countries, which are coastal to the Black Sea, make possible the Western world's presence in the Black Sea. The fact that the Black Sea is a transit corridor for commercial and military products for Russia, but also that it is one of Europe's important roots in energy supply and demand has led to increased competition in the post-Soviet period area for Black Sea. Another important issue that increases mobility in the Black Sea and is included in this study is the Crimean Crisis by Russia. While the rivalry between the West and Russia in the process of going to the Crimea Crisis is reflected in the Ukrainian domestic politics. The Orange Revolution and the Maidan events, which took place in Ukraine, accelerated the annexation of the Crimea. With the annexation of the Crimea, Ukraine has lost a significant territory while Russia has been dominant over these lands again and had an advantage in the Black Sea. The study will examine the problems of power and interests in the Black Sea as well as from the post-Soviet Union to the Crimean Crisis and the analysis of the elements that cause them. While researches from scientific books and academic books have been made, especially the Crimean Crisis is an up-to-date issue, internet data has been frequently used in this area.