Regional Politics and Energy Security: A Case Study of Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline

Abstract

The second half of the twentieth century witnessed small and medium sized nation-states competing economically and militarily. They all require fuel to operate. Countries being geographically selfsufficient in the energy resources were considered sitting on jewels in the modern era. They were supposed to lead the way in exports, scientific development and technological advancements but most of core states of Middle East neither possess strong armies nor do they contribute substantially to the latest inventions in the scientific world. The qualitative approach has been adopted in order to understand the changing patterns of dependency syndromes vis-à-vis economical advancements and military prowess. The paper discusses in depth about the history, capability and implications of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline originating from the Iraqi semi-autonomous Kurdish region into the Turkish port of Ceyhan in Adana. Iraqi dependence on oil money is discussed while referencing the Turkish economic boom.