Oil From The Caspian Sea Region example essay topic

1. Turkey spans two continents, linking Europe and Asia across the narrow straits ofthe Bosporus and the Dardanelles. European Turkey to the north of the Sea of Marmara shares borders with Bulgaria and Greece. Asian Turkey) is larger in area and borders Syria and Iraq to the south and southeast, Iran and Armenia to the east, and Georgia tothe northeast.

It also borders to Black Sea to the north, the Aegean to the west and the Mediterranean to the south. The European part of Turkey is characterized by fertile rolling plains surrounded by low mountains. The central part of Anatolia is a plateau surrounded by mountains. As far as geopolitics is the branch of geography that promises to explain the relationships between geographical realities and international affairs. As far as Turkey goes, it is a geopolitcallyan important country. Its location spanning Europe and Asia and its control of the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Darnandlees) that link the Black and Aegean Seas, make Turkey a strategic country.

Moreover, Turkey has long had territorial and maritime disputes with Greece especially over Cyprus, which Turkey invaded in 1974 after Greeks officials tried to unite Cyprus with Greece. The sources of both the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are in Turkey. The building of the Ataturk Dam and others has caused problems with the downstream countries of Syria and Iraq. Lastly, Kurdish militants have attempted to establish an independent Kurdistan. Turkey has pursued an active campaign against the Kurds which in turn caused and continues to cause riots amongst the two groups.

2. The Kurds are people of Indo-European origin who live mainly in the mountains and upland where Turkey, Iraq, and Iran meet. They have their own language, and are predominately Sunni Muslim. The Kurds have traditionally resisted subjugation by other nations. In the 16th century the Ottoman and Persian Empress allowed the Kurdish tribes almost total autonomy in return for keeping peace on the borders of the empires. At the end of the First World War, the Kurds living in the former Ottoman Empire found themselves divided between three different countries: Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.

In each of these countries, the Kurds found themselves to be discriminated against. They were expected to learn the language of the state in which they found themselves, and to abandon their Kurdish identity. The Kurds, being traditional in their ways and tribal oriented began to feel their culture undermined and many Kurdish groups attempted to resist their new governments. The Kurds are broken up by a mountainous geography. Inthe field of geopolitics, the location of the Kurds works to their advantage. The would-be Kurdish homeland includes some of the major oil deposits of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran aswell as the head waters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

The Kurdish people have been used to further the foreign policies of great powers. The Clinton administration aimed to form an alliance of the two authoritative Kurdish movements. This was to establish a Kurd administered territory in Saddam Hussein's northern locale. The American government was however, thinking of themselves and the way that this could help them out. This alliance would weaken the dictator of Iraq and would be advantageous to the U.S. 3. Kurdish militants have attempted to establish an independent Kurdistan and would like territory of their own.

Turkey however, has pursued an active campaign against the Kurds. Because statehood has always eluded them, the Kurds are hostage to the strategies of others and are forced to be the pawn of other nations. Moreover, their ability to have their economy grow in several parts of their regions, has been blocked. Two embargoes, one from the UN and one from Baghdad, creates the lack of a stable credit or banking system. The economy of a nation reflects its competence to survive and resist problems. If the Kurdish economic system is somewhat scant Lastly, in 1992, the Kurds allowed Baghdad to reassert control over the north.

Contrary to popular belief, this will not aid the Kurdish cause. This was done to help relations with other countries however the relations remained strained and the Kurd's in turn, lost land. 4. Abdullah O callan has committed many crimes and may be responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people.

Moreover, he may deserve to die. However, after reviewing the events that have surpassed due to the capture of the Kurdish leader, the murder of such an influential man will have global repercussions. As we see now, Kurds around the world, including Canada, have rose to display there anger towards the opposing forces. Furthermore, there have been many mixed messages and ideas about this whole Ocalan ordeal. Some believe the Greek's tipped off his location. Some say i twas Turkish spies.

In either case, these varied beliefs of who is to be blamed, may cause confrontations amongst all the above mentioned countries. Last but not least, the other countries that have resentment towards the Turks will want to show some revenge for the deaths of their innocent people. Countries, whether it be overseas or locally, that are in conjunction with any of the involved populations, will be affected if they have trading deals or any treaty's with them. Similar to the Soviets with the Germans in WWII. They fought with the Nazi's in Poland because they had a pact together and were linked. 7.

The economy's of countries that surround the Caspian Sea deal most prominently with oil, cotton, and gas. The chief ports on the Caspian are Baky, a major oil center, and Astrakhan, at the mouth of the Volga. The sea is an important transportation artery; oil and oil products are shipped across it from Baky to Astrakhan and up the Volga. As world oil demand continues to grow over the next decade, the region will gain in importance by expanding sources of oil and gas beyond such traditional suppliers as the Middle East The development of oil and gas resources in the Caspian region is particularly important for the development of the Central Asian and Transcaucasian economies. Investment attracted to the oil and gas sector, including in the transportation infrastructure of neighboring countries, could provide significant revenue for the region's governments and stimulate investment in other economic sectors. Furthermore, the Caspian also has important fisheries.

The northern part of the sea is the chief source of beluga caviar, but the destruction of spawning areas has greatly reduced the catch. 8. The Clinton Administration favors the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. The cost of Baku-Ceyhan pipeline stands at $2 billion for the 1,710 km made so far and will have a capacity of 55 mm to 60 mm tpy. The pipeline is expected to run through the areas of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. America is determined to see oil from the Caspian Sea region transported through Turkey and will work to make the Baku-Ceyhan route a reality.

The reason they want to see this pipeline to become a physical existence is because this certain one offers the best option from environmental, economic and strategic standpoints. 9. In my opinion, the Kurds should fight for their own territory. The reason behind this is the fact that the mountainous geography works in their favor. The potential Kurdish homeland includes some of the major oil deposits of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran as well as the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

This would create a strong base for an economy and give the Kurds an advantage over the Turks because they have this authority over the watercourses 10. The building of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline is plagued by problems. One difficulty isth at the oil companies involved in the Caspian do not support construction of theadministration's favored pipeline (estimated cost between $2.5 billion and $4 billion, the most expensive option by far), preferring instead a substantially less expensive route from Baku to Sups a, Georgia, on the Black Sea. From there, oil would be shipped through the Bosporus to the Mediterranean Sea. The fact that the oil companies have not caved i nand agreed to endorse this route, despite strong administration pressure, reflects their unwillingness to become pawns in Caspian geopolitical games, particularly given the possibility of an eventual change in U.S. policy toward Iran. A second problem that hasarised is the fact that the market wants flexibility and wants to keep options open as long as possible.

Until all of the tariffs and terms associated with various pipeline alternatives have been negotiated, at least preliminarily, it is very hard to say if Baku-Ceyhan is the best way out or if it is too expensive. Lastly, the Clinton administration believes this 900-mile route would secure Turkey's role as a major player in the Caspian region. That, in turn, would boost the status of a loyal NATO ally and Islamic nation whose secular, moderate government could serve as a model for shaky, post-Soviet states such as Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmen. 11. For over two hundred years, Turkish-Russian relations over civilian and military transit of the Straits connecting the Black Sea and Mediterranean have been a tangled skin of military and economic considerations. Relations between Russia and Ukraine remain strained, especially over such issues as energy costs, the division of the Black Sea Fleet, and the status of Sevastopol.

By exporting oil on the Black Seam it well within the reach of potential Russian interference and exposed to possible stoppage of travel. 12. A problem with the pipeline going through Iran is that, Iran says Caspian pipeline would violate rights. Furthermore, it would breach the rights of seaboard states. The Iranian foreign minister reiterated that the Caspian Sea belongs to all littoral states and that its legal regime should be formulated by all the states bordering the sea.