By Constandine Patronidis*, International Relations Expert
The discovery of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean has the potential to spur an energy boom in the region, which could act as a catalyst in uniting the divided island of Cyprus; but, this phenomenon has further created tension between two states in the region, the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, the illegal occupiers of northern Cyprus. This may have contributed to the recent stalled peace negotiations in 2017, in which Turkey was adamant on retaining its nearing five-decade presence on the island. The objective of this thesis is to argue that Turkey, and its contemporary foreign policy towards the Republic of Cyprus, has a hostile nature and poses as a threat to regional stability.
