Publication: Iran-Eu relations in the framework of their oil policies with the emphasis on the impacts of American policies on this relationship
Abstract
Bu tezin amacı kısaca Iran-Avrupa birliği (AB) ilişkilerini, iki tarafın Basra Körfezindeki petrol politikaları çerçevesinde ele almaktır. Bu arade, bu ilişkileri değerlendirirken, Amerika Birleşik Devletlerinin (ABD) Körfezdeki politikalarının bu ilişkiler üzerindeki etkileri ise göz önünde bulundurulmaktadir. Bu çalışma ABD¢nin Körfez bölgesindeki hegemonyasını geliştirmek ve pekiştirmek adına nasıl tarih boyunca bu bölgedeki petrol rezervelerine ve bu bağlamada transit yollarına hakim olmayı bu bölgedeki en önemli politikalarından biri haline getirmiştir. Ayrıca , ABD , Iran¢ın dışında , Suudi Arabistan , Kuveyt ve diğer petrol zengini ülkeler dahil olmak üzere , nasıl bölgedeki tüm petrol rezervelerinin kontorolünü ele geçirmeyi başarmıştır. Öte yandan , bu çalışma AB¢nin nasıl zaman içinde Amerika¢ya olan güvenini kaybederek bu ülkenin artık Avrupa¢nin Körfez bölgesindeki menfaatlerini savunamayacağını ve AB¢nin bu bölgedeki ülkelerle ilişkilerini geliştirerek , bölgedeki etkinliğini arttırarak , ABD¢ye olan bağımlılığını azaltarak ve bu bölgedeki menfaatlerini , özellikle bölgeden sürekli petrol akışını sağlamayı , kendisi bizzat koruyarak , ABD , Rusya ve Çin gibi Körfez bölgesinde uluslararası bir aktör olabilmek için gereken çabayı sarfetmesi gerektiğini farketmiştir. Bu buğlamda Iran bölgedeki jeostratejik ve stratejik önemi ve ABD¢yle 1979 yılınden beri sürdürdüğü kötü ilişkiler dolayısıyla AB için çok istisnai ve önemli bir yere sahip olmaktadır. Iran ve ABD arasındaki kötü ilişkiler , AB¢ni özellikle Soğuk Savaşın bitmesiyle birlikte bu durumu kendi lehine sui-istimal etmeye yönlendirmiştir. Şüphesiz Iran¢in zengin petrol rezerveleri Iran-AB ilişkilerinin oluşumunda en önemli etkenlerden biri olmuştur. Dolayısıyla , Amerika¢nın bu sektörde Iran¢a empoze ettiği ve uyguladığı ambargolar ve neticede Amerikan petrol şirketlerinin Iran petrolünden yoksun bırakılmaları , AB¢nin elinden geldiğince Iran¢nın petrol sectöründe karlı anlaşmalara zemin hazırlamıştır. Gerçek anlamda , Iran-AB ilişkilerinin tarihi seyri bize bunu açıkça gösteriyor ki her ne kadar ABD tek yönlü davranıp Iran¢a çeşitli ambargolar uygulamaya çalışmışsa , AB bir o kadar bu politikalara karşı politikalar geliştirmek ve Iran¢la ilişkilerini geliştirmeye çalışmıştır. Öte yanden , Iran-AB ilişkilerinin tarihi bize bunu gösteriyor ki Amerika¢nın Iran aleyhine uyguladığı politikalar ve ambargoların tek galibi AB olmuştur. Bu sebeple öyle gözüküyor ki Iran-ABD ilişkilerindeki status quo AB¢nin bölgesel menfaatleri açısından hayati önem taşımaktadır.
The aim of this thesis is to take a brief look at Iran-EU relations in the framework of their oil policies in the Persian Gulf and the impact of American Gulf policies on this relationship. This study tries to explain how access to the Persian Gulf's oil reserves and the routes to transit it has, throughout the history, been the main goal of American policies in the Persian Gulf in order to maintain its hegemony in the region. In addition, how the US has managed to maintain its hold over the crucial oil reserves of almost all of the countries of the Gulf including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and even recently Iraq except for the oil reserves of Iran. On the other hand, through a historical perspective this study efforts to show that how the EU could not count on the assistance of the US to protect this Union's interests in the Middle East particularly the Persian Gulf and how the EU started to penetrate in the region and to increase its influence by developing relations with the countries of the Gulf region in order to be considered as one of the key actors besides the US, Russia and China in the region, to decrease its dependence to the US in terms of its policies towards the Persian Gulf and its states and to preserve its interests in the region specially the continuity of the oil supply from the region. In this sense, Iran has always been of high significance and of exceptional position to the EU due to its highly geo-strategic and strategic position in the region and, most importantly, the lack of good relations with the US. As a result, this exceptional situation has triggered EU to take the advantage of the lack of political relations between the US and Iran particularly since the end of the Cold War. In fact, with a glimpse at Iran- EU relations, it is perceivable that Iran's vast oil reserves has been the most paramount reason behind Iran-EU relations and EU has benefited from the US sanctions particularly on Iran's oil sector and from the absence of American oil companies in this country in order to make much more lucrative contracts in the Iranian energy sector as much as possible. In fact, the history of Iran-EU relations demonstrates that the more the US has tried to take unilateral actions in the region and to impose much more intense sanctions on Iran, the more EU has tried to challenge American interests in the region and, therefore, to expand its relations with Iran. On the other hand, the history indicates that the biggest winner of American policies in terms of Iran, specially its sanctions on Iranian oil sector has been the EU and it appears that the continuation of status quo in Iran-US relations serves the interests of the EU in this connection.
The aim of this thesis is to take a brief look at Iran-EU relations in the framework of their oil policies in the Persian Gulf and the impact of American Gulf policies on this relationship. This study tries to explain how access to the Persian Gulf's oil reserves and the routes to transit it has, throughout the history, been the main goal of American policies in the Persian Gulf in order to maintain its hegemony in the region. In addition, how the US has managed to maintain its hold over the crucial oil reserves of almost all of the countries of the Gulf including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and even recently Iraq except for the oil reserves of Iran. On the other hand, through a historical perspective this study efforts to show that how the EU could not count on the assistance of the US to protect this Union's interests in the Middle East particularly the Persian Gulf and how the EU started to penetrate in the region and to increase its influence by developing relations with the countries of the Gulf region in order to be considered as one of the key actors besides the US, Russia and China in the region, to decrease its dependence to the US in terms of its policies towards the Persian Gulf and its states and to preserve its interests in the region specially the continuity of the oil supply from the region. In this sense, Iran has always been of high significance and of exceptional position to the EU due to its highly geo-strategic and strategic position in the region and, most importantly, the lack of good relations with the US. As a result, this exceptional situation has triggered EU to take the advantage of the lack of political relations between the US and Iran particularly since the end of the Cold War. In fact, with a glimpse at Iran- EU relations, it is perceivable that Iran's vast oil reserves has been the most paramount reason behind Iran-EU relations and EU has benefited from the US sanctions particularly on Iran's oil sector and from the absence of American oil companies in this country in order to make much more lucrative contracts in the Iranian energy sector as much as possible. In fact, the history of Iran-EU relations demonstrates that the more the US has tried to take unilateral actions in the region and to impose much more intense sanctions on Iran, the more EU has tried to challenge American interests in the region and, therefore, to expand its relations with Iran. On the other hand, the history indicates that the biggest winner of American policies in terms of Iran, specially its sanctions on Iranian oil sector has been the EU and it appears that the continuation of status quo in Iran-US relations serves the interests of the EU in this connection.