A blessing or a curse? An anatomy of the Republic of Cyprus energy program

After the Republic of Cyprus announced its intention to proceed to oil and gas exploration and exploitation research activities back in 2011, it entered a transition period during which it has been transformed from an almost exclusively energy consumer to both an energy producer and an energy hub. This transition has already brought (geo)political and economic benefits, but it has also caused the development of a new field of confrontation between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkey/Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) axis. This latest confrontation has raised the question if the exploitation of hydrocarbons can be considered a blessing or a curse for the Republic of Cyprus, at least before the final settlement of the Cyprus issue.
This thesis aims to contribute to the discussion related to the energy security of the Republic of Cyprus in the aftermath of the decision to proceed to exploration and exploitation researches and, more precisely, during the period between 2013 and 2018 and also, how it has impacted the state’s foreign policy crisis management mechanism. To do so, the researcher has based the theoretical context of the thesis on Neoclassical Realism and has used two methods of analysis. With reference to the two methods of analysis, this study has based the collection and analysis of the data required to analyze the thesis research question on Political Discourse Analysis (PDA) and Semi-Structured Elite Interviewing.