Turkey’s Foreign Energy Policy andRealist Theory : The Cases of Nabuccoand South Stream Gas Pipeline Projects

Abstract: This paper focuses on Turkey’s foreign energy policy with a special focus on cases ofNabucco and South Stream Gas Pipeline Projects and examines the issue from the perspectiveof “realist theory”.The research question aims to discover the realist tendency in Turkishforeign energy policy and to find out which gas pipeline project is more beneficial in terms ofnational interest for Turkey and also relevant for meeting the goals of Turkish Foreign EnergyPolicy.Energy is the key concept of the discussions about future of our world and sustainabledevelopment. If energy functions as a subject that increases the tensions between countriesthis means a threat to sustainable development since it becomes a factor jeopardizing peaceand makes cooperation between states imporssible. Also; energy constitutes a fundamentalplace national strategies of states along with sustainable development.In order to make the theory operational, three main dimensions, being security, economicsand strategic are used as tools or in other words as filters to look through, in the analysis offoreign and energy policy, as well as cases of Nabucco and South Stream Gas Pipeline Projects.