아제르바이잔-터키 BTC(바쿠-티빌리시-제이한) 송유관 건설과 터키의 새로운 에너지정책 구상

Construction of the Azerbaijan-Turkey BTC(Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan) Pipeline and the Turkey's new Energy Policies

Turkey’geopolitical location is crucial to diversify and secure the energy-transportation routes for the EU energy markets. However, the challenges stemming from the EU’energy policy, the geopolitics of Kazakh oil and Turkmen gas, and the increasing turbulence in Middle East are important to secure and diversify resources for the planned energy hub in Turkey. Rather than the EU members’individual initiatives, an unified energy policy should be in place to carry out the planning and the financing of the required infrastructure in coordination with the on-going projects for an energy hub in Turkey. This article argues that there is if there is the lack of a political determination not only the EU energy security strategy but also the planned energy hub in Turkey, emphasized as“strategic importance to the EU,” will be undermined. Consequently, the article contends that Turkey’s role as an energy hub is important for the emerging concept of energy security not only to secure new energy supplies but also to diversify long-distance, cross-border pipelines. Furthermore, it argues that it is time for the EU to demonstrate effective international leadership in tackling the common problems of energy security in partnership with Turkey.