Eastern Mediterranean in Uncharted Waters

Dear Readers,

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Turkey has been organizing activities in the context of regional security policy issues for years. The annual Istanbul Security Conference (ISC) and the Eastern Mediterranean security workshop that always follows are two main programs, both of which are organized in cooperation with Başkent University of Ankara.

The terrible developments around the corona virus pandemic have not allowed KAS Turkey to hold international in-person events this year.

Therefore, the idea of this publication was born, which we publish together with Prof. Michaël Tanchum. The purpose of this publication is to present in one volume a comprehensive explanatory account of the Eastern Mediterranean crisis, integrating the perspectives of local actors, major regional actors, and involved global powers. With a focus on the three interlinked conflicts of the Cyprus problem, the Greece-Turkey maritime boundary dispute, and the Libyan civil war, each contributor has provided an account of the Eastern Mediterranean crisis from the unique perspective of a particular actor – sometimes providing differing details and contrary narratives about the same events and phenomena discussed by other authors. The chapters were arranged deliberately in a specific sequence to help the reader retain and juxtapose the differing points of view.  Thus, by reading the chapters of the volume in its entirety and in the order presented, the reader will be able to form an integrated framework for understanding of the complex, cross-cutting dynamics that characterize the Eastern Mediterranean crisis.

With this mandate, no restrictions were placed on the authors in terms of the manner of presentation of their respective topics – including the choice of terms for actors in the region.  All the content in each chapter and the terminology used solely reflect the opinions of that particular author.  They do not reflect the opinions of the other authors, the editor, the publishers, Başkent University Ankara or the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Turkey.

I wish you all an interesting reading of the publication.

Walter Glos

Director, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Turkey