The Cyprus Conflict: Turkey's Strategic Dilemma

Abstract

This article concerns Turkey's Cyprus policy in the fast transforming geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean. It argues that dramatic changes in the Eastern Mediterranean with the Arab Spring and the discovery of natural gas reserves in the region paved way for a hard power strategy on Cyprus. Both have shaken the traditional alliance structures and created an unprecedented level of economic opportunities, leading Turkey to reformulate its Cyprus policy. Turkey's disappointment regarding EU accession prepared the ground for this radical shift in Turkey's policy.