Turkey's Foreign Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean: Peacemaking in Cyprus at a Crossroads

Introduction

Turkey’s foreign policy in the Eastern Mediterranean region has been undergoing important shifts over the last few years. One important shift is related to Turkey’s approach to peacemaking with regard to the Cyprus conflict.1 The year 2017 marked the transition to a new period, following the failure of the international peace talks that had been ongoing since 2015. Since 2017, Turkey has expressed its preference for a two-state solution, rejecting the settlement of the conflict through unification. During the same period, hydrocarbon resource exploration in the region accelerated, leading to increasing competition and the formation of competitive alliances. Within this context, Turkey’s assertive approach to defending its interests has been driven by two main frustrations: its belief that Turkish Cypriots are excluded from potential energy riches and, secondly, that other Mediterranean states are pursuing a containment policy against Turkey.