Geopolitical Theories and Cyprus. The Importance of Cyprus Island in Geopolitical Theories

      Аннотация: In this study, Cyprus has been evaluated according to the geopolitical theories such as Land, Air and Sea Supremacy and Rimland. The aim of the study is to identify geopolitical position of Cyprus and show what the interests of global, regional and local powers are. As a result, the study shows that the geographical position of Cyprus determines the policies of local actors, influences the policies of regional actors and shapes the policies of global actors. In fact, the geopolitical importance of Cyprus arises from being on the world's largest sea transport routes and being close to a conflict area such as the Middle East. Therefore, this region has witnessed the global and regional powers’ struggle for dominance the last few centuries. Accordingly, it is thought that Cyprus problem will be re-shaped by the emerging balances in the world and the region. However, a solution to Cyprus problem is not possible without taking into account the national interests of global powers, the national security of regional powers and the notion of local powers’ existence. For this reason, geopolitical perception of England, the USA, the EU, Turkey, Greece, Israel and China have been emphasized.

Ключевые слова: geography, Cyprus, geopolitics, Power Theory, Geostrategy