Energy Policy in Turkey

Turkey is a country with an increasing demand for energy. This demand cannot be met through indigenous resources, and thus Turkey has to find resources elsewhere. In the course of time, Turkey became over depend on Russian gas supplies. Overdependence on Russian gas is a serious concern for security; diversification of energy sources enhances security. This study uncovers how Turkey diversified its energy supply sources, and how this can be explained. This study applies a congruence analysis to explain the diversification of energy source in the period 1990–2012. Two different theories propose that the developments of diversification are explained by Structural Realism’s systemic features, or by Liberalism’s domestic features. Turkey was using the construction of pipelines to balance against Russian dominance and to spread its own influence in the region. Turkey developed warm ties with the other states in the region, while diversifying its sources of energy supply.