The New Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean

The document introduces a collective volume analyzing the shifting security and geopolitical landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean. It identifies four primary drivers of change: hydrocarbon discoveries, geopolitical antagonisms (particularly involving Turkey), new human security imperatives resulting from Middle Eastern instability, and increased interest from external powers like the US, Russia, and China. The text focuses on the formation of trilateral partnerships (Cyprus-Greece-Israel and Cyprus-Egypt-Greece) as a balancing act against Turkey's regional power projection and explores how these alliances intersect with energy security and the broader refugee crisis affecting Southern Europe.

• The security environment of the Eastern Mediterranean is currently shaped by four interconnected dynamics: energy discoveries, geopolitical antagonisms and power imbalances, human security imperatives, and the involvement of external powers.
• Hydrocarbon discoveries have fundamentally altered regional strategic calculations, providing geo-economic advantages while simultaneously creating new energy-related insecurities and points of contention between rivals.
• Trilateral partnerships involving Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and Egypt have emerged as a central part of the region's security architecture, serving largely as a balancing mechanism against Turkey's regional power projection.
• Turkey's relations with other regional states have deteriorated significantly, specifically with Israel after 2010 and with Egypt following the 2013 coup, exacerbating existing geopolitical tensions.
• External global powers are increasingly active in the region: the US and Russia act as primary geopolitical rivals (most notably in Syria), the EU focuses on the energy domain, and China is engaging through its Belt and Road Initiative.
• Instability in the Middle East, driven by the Arab Uprisings and the rise of the Islamic State (IS), has created human security crises—including famine, chemical attacks, and mass displacement—that have directly impacted Southern European countries like Greece, Italy, and Cyprus.
• Some analysis suggests that the economic and geopolitical gains from Eastern Mediterranean energy collaborations may be limited in the short to medium term because the gas remains largely undeveloped and lacks an available export route.

APA

Tziarras, Z. (2019). The New Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://files.prio.org/publication_files/cyprus/GeopoliticsEasternMediterranean/The%20New%20Geopolitics%20of%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20-%20Chapter%201%20-%20An%20Introduction%20-%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf

Chicago

Tziarras, Zenonas. The New Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2019. https://files.prio.org/publication_files/cyprus/GeopoliticsEasternMediterranean/The%20New%20Geopolitics%20of%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20-%20Chapter%201%20-%20An%20Introduction%20-%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tziarras |first1=Zenonas |title=The New Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2019 |url=https://files.prio.org/publication_files/cyprus/GeopoliticsEasternMediterranean/The%20New%20Geopolitics%20of%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20-%20Chapter%201%20-%20An%20Introduction%20-%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tziarras2019new, author = {Tziarras, Zenonas}, title = {{The New Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2019}, url = {https://files.prio.org/publication_files/cyprus/GeopoliticsEasternMediterranean/The%20New%20Geopolitics%20of%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean%20-%20Chapter%201%20-%20An%20Introduction%20-%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }