This dissertation analyses the phenomenon of regionalism around the Baltic and the Black Sea since the end of the Cold War with a comparative approach and by applying an extended neorealist theory that includes geopolitics and historical legacy. The main focus is regional organizations, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), which defines the geographical and political borders of the Baltic and the Black Sea region. These regional organizations are treated as international regimes. The three main varibales taken into consideration in this study are the distribution of power among the big states, the geographical location and the historical legacy that directly and indirectly affect the relations among the states in each region. These variables are consistently applied to the following  four sector analysed in this study: hard security, energy, economic development, and environment. While the last three sectors are areas of cooperation within the CBSS and the BSEC, hard security is not. Its inclusion in this study is because of the fact that it strongly affects the power relations among the states in the two regions and that it is strictly linked to the other three sectors. Although the CBSS and the BSEC have established ad hoc Working Groups with the aim to make cooperation working effectively, regional states cooperate to the extent that it brings relative gains according to the neorealist theory. The analysis shows that the two regimes created around the Balti and the Black Sea are ineffective despite the fact that the CBSS has managed to create stronger cooperative links among its members compared to the BSEC.

In addressing the question 'How do energy relations affect the Black Sea Region (BSR) and, in particular, the Russian-Turkish relationship?', this thesis argues that while energy relations have been a securitising factor in the BSR as a whole, they have played a desecuritising role in the Russian-Turkish relationship. Inspired by Barry Buzan and Ole Wæver's Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT), I adapt elements of their theoretical approach, establishing a framework which draws up on the concept of (de)securitisation and structuring my analysis on the basis of four different levels: domestic, bilateral, regional and interregional/global. My original contribution to the existing literature comprises an analysis of Russian-Turkish relations in the BSR, with a primary focus on energy, on the basis of a critical engagement with the concept of (de)securitisation. In particular, I have sought to apply a more nuanced account of the concept of the (de)securitisation. Regarding solving these issues, I expand the analysis to pipeline projects and use the categorisation of Lene Hansen (2012) on desecuritisation. Using this conceptual framework as the basis for my empirical analysis, I first argue that the relationship between Russia and Turkey has been transformed from one where they were historical enemies to a multidimensional partnership, in which energy is one of the most important factors. The desecuritisation of energy is basically related to economic concerns and political developments, and as a result, Turkey is defined as a new energy partner/route for Russia while Russia is a reliable supplier for Turkey. However, as a second argument, since politics is dynamic, the stability of this new relationship might be in question. In particular, relations with regional and global actors, particularly on energy, might form the basis of a new threat to bilateral relations. Despite these problems, nevertheless, two sides make an effort to mitigate bilateral tensions and minimise factors that might fuel conflict between them.

The Thesis examines the process of regionalization in the Black Sea region. The main argument of this thesis is that the process of regionalization in the Black Sea region has not transformed the region from the level of &quot / regional society&quot / to the level of &quot / regional institutionalized community&quot / due to the pressure of extra-regional, regional and sub-regional factors, and the present situation undermines the basis for regional security and prosperity. In addition, the thesis explores the obstacles that the process of regionalization in the Black Sea region faces.

The Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey accomodates indecent residence conditions for people owing to ground conditions comprising of volcanics and concurrent flysch, and its related irregular geomorphology. One of the important difficulties in this region is transportation. Accordingly, the ordu peripheral highway which encompasses various structures such as, open cuts, bridges, viaducts and junctions and double tubed tunnel sections which will be driven in these geological and geomorphological conditions is palnned to be constructed. In regional scale, volcanics, pyroclastics and flysch deposits often intertounge with each other even over very short distances. The accurate determination of the shear strength parameters of these lithologies is vital for the assessment of portal slope stability and support design in regards to tunnel design. Rock mass classification systems, namley, RMR, NGI Q system and GSI, have been employed to obtain the rock mass shear strength parameters. Stress analyses around the tunnel opennings have been executed through employing 2D finite element analysis in an attempt to design tunnel support. The results of the analysis have been correlated with the results obtained from the emprical methods. The overall analyses and interpretations led to the determination of the support systems to be employed during tunnel construction.

Tourism in Turkey has passed a certain developmental stage, but today increases an opportunity to broach a new stage in the development of alternative types of tourism. Together with appropriate development of transport infrastructure, may be developed the other less visited regions of Turkey. The government of Turkey is good aware of this fact and concerned departments approach to this challenge with proper importance. Thus, it could be expected a positive result.

Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Knowledge of a country's national geopolitics is the key to understanding the state in all its political forms. Therefore, this thesis is devoted to the Ukrainian geopolitics of the 20th - 21st century. In it we described the main concepts and opinions of Ukrainian geopoliticians. Our goal was to learn more about the theoretical foundations of Ukrainian geopolitics as it was in the 20th century and to see its further development in the 21st century. We tried to describe as fully as possible the views of Ukrainian geopoliticians and note the peculiarities of their thinking. We also analysed possible factors influencing the geopolitical vision of Ukrainians in the 20th and 21st centuries. This thesis is divided into three major parts and conclusions. The first chapter presents the main geopolitical concepts that emerged in the first half of the 20th century and their classification. In the second chapter, we focused more on those concepts that concerned the Black Sea region. In the third chapter, we presented the main and interesting concepts of Ukrainian geopolitics of the 21st century. Conclusions are an important analytical element of our work