Analysis of Turkey's goal of becoming an energy center in the process leading from the Ukrainian crisis to Turkish Stream reference to geopolitical theories

This study will examine energy policies of Turkey and Russia from the Ukraine Crisis which resulted with Annexation of Crimea in 2014 to the Project of Turkish Stream within the framework of geopolitical theories. In this point this study examine Turkey's role of energy transfer, Changes of Turkey's energy policies with Turkish Stream and whether Turkey can become an Energy Center in future. After the Ukraine Crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled the South Stream project, which had the purpose of transporting Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, and instead proposed the Turkish Stream project, which would carry Russian gas to Turkey and Europe via Turkey. At the point reached today, gas flow from Turkish Stream to Turkey was provided in January 2020 and work is continuing on the European part. In this study, geopolitical theories were utilized. The classification made by Geraroid Tuathail, Simon Dalby and Paul Routledge in their book "The Geopolitics Reader" was used to give authenticity to the work in the context of the theoretical framework by going beyond the stereotypical lines used in the classification of geopolitical theories. The use of geopolitical theories in the study is due to the fact that these pipelines are directly related to the advantages of Turkey's geopolitical position. Turkey is in a strategic position in the middle of West which consuming energy and the East which has energy resources. The fact that this location is a route for energy source countries in natural gas pipeline projects to pass their pipelines will allow Turkey to move closer to its goals of becoming a central country in energy transfer. Key Words: Turkish Stream, Energy, Geopolitics, Ukraine Crisis