The International Energy Strategies Ruling the Middle East for a Century Re-appear and Determine the Destiny of the Whole Eastern Mediterranean Region

Abstract

This paper examines the involvement of Western powers in the politics of Caucasus and Mesopotamia regions around the beginning of the 20th century. It attempts to identify the ideological background of the respective historical events whirled around the geopolitical and geo-economics aspirations of the super powers of that era. The motives of the relevant tremendous investments and campaigns undertaken do not always coincide with the rhetoric and the rationale provided by politicians and spokesmen favoring the expeditions. On one hand scholars were metaphorically reviving the clash of civilizations or the crusades re-launch, while on the other hand politicians and businessmen were taking advantage of the cultural stereotypes in order to facilitate colonial interests and energy resources acquisition. All the way from the early British interventions in the Middle East to the causes of the “fragile” Treaty of the Sèvres, this study emphasizes on the industrial countries’ needs for oil along with the rivalry among the Great Powers for the resources control in the region. In addition, the analysis ends at the present time with a focus on the periodicity of the events taking place in repetition under similar patterns. The projection to the present times involves newly designed energy strategies for the Eastern Mediterranean basin, involving Cyprus in an alternative way to transfer energy toward Southern Europe.

From a Culture of Borders to Borders of Cultures: Nationalism and the “Clash of Civilizations” in International Relations Theory

“…In order to sum it up, the borderlines offer the supreme, currently known, environment for "status quo" safety, security and societal conveniences for the citizens. At the same time the territorial borders do not always coincide with the cultural ones, as it is being discussed with regard to the Sykes-Picot arrangements in the Middle East (Alobeid, Vidakis, Baltos, & Balodis, 2018); and this is the point where the constructivist, collective and national memories conflict with the geographical maps' distortions, as they have been powerfully enforced through multiple and dramatic wars. A border cannot by default result in order.…”

Geo-economics vs Geo-politics: The Baghdad Railway Project and the Spoils of a Perpetual Economic War around Middle East

“…In November 1904, the Fuel Oil Committee was established and decided along with the British Ministry of Colonies the prohibition of a majority shareholding in any consortium for exploration and exploitation by non-British. In addition, the British Ministry of Colonies decided to ensure that the most promising oil company in the region of today's south-western Iran would remain under British control, despite the fact that it was outside the empire's administrative boundaries (Alobeid, Vidakis, Baltos & Balodis, 2018). We should not neglect to mention that the "energy explosion" had begun in the late 19th century and was closely connected with the massive use of oil (Vidakis & Baltos 2015).…”

Γεω-Οικονομικές Και Γεω-Στρατηγικές Δυναμικές

“…σχεδιάζει εδώ και χρόνια την κατασκευή των αγωγών φυσικού αερίου και γραμμών ηλεκτρισμού, που στην ολοκληρωμένη τους φάση θα περιλάβουν και τον αγωγό East Med και θα καταλήγουν στην υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη, μεταφέροντας τόσο φυσικό αέριο από Ιράν, Τουρκμενιστάν, Ιράκ κ.λπ. όσο και από τα κοιτάσματα περί την Κύπρο στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο (Alobeid et al, 2018).…”

“…Οι εθνικές κοινωνίες, μαζί με τις λαϊκές παραδόσεις και τους πολιτικούς μύθους τους, έχουν εξελιχθεί δικαιικά και διοικητικά σε τέτοιο βαθμό που το διεθνές σκηνικό σε σύγκριση μαζί τους δείχνει ανοργάνωτο κι άναρχο. Ταυτόχρονα, από μια άλλη οπτική, τα εδαφικά σύνορα δεν συμπίπτουν πάντοτε με τα πολιτισμικά, όπως συζητείται για παράδειγμα σε σχέση με τις συμφωνίες Sykes-Picot στη Μέση Ανατολή (Alobeid, Vidakis, Baltos, & Balodis, 2018). Αυτό δε είναι το σημείο όπου οι συλλογικές και εθνικές μνήμες έρχονται σε σύγκρουση με τις στρεβλώσεις των γεωγραφικών χαρτών, καθώς οι τελευταίες έχουν ισχυρά επιβληθεί μέσα από πολλούς και καταστροφικούς πολέμους.…”