After giving a brief literature review on the topic, the first part of this study describes the existing energy security issues of the EU due to its heavy reliance on a single source of supply, namely Russia, for its natural gas imports and to a certain extend oil imports. The second part of the study discusses Turkey's role in European security of energy supply, the relative utility of the proposed Nabucco Project for both EU and Turkey and its possible affects on Turkey's membership possibility in future. .
In conclusion, the paper suggests that although the existing supplies of energy resources and heavy reliance on Russia urges EU to have a more positive attitude towards Turkish membership in the Union, it does not mean that the EU cannot obtain its goal of energy security without Turkey as a full member even if it involves higher political and economical costs. Turkey on the other hand must do more then just being an energy hub to get closer to EU membership.
Literature Review.
Whilst studying the literature on the importance of energy security and its impact on EU-Turkey relations it is possible to find some literature that lay a hand on these matters such as Mankoff's work,2 essays produced at the Center for European Reform (CER) and green papers of the European Commission on energy issues. However, it is also evident that in EU-Turkey relations significance of energy security is understudied even though official commission documents continue to imply the importance of this issue. As the Green Paper of the European Commission on the strategy for the security of energy supply published in 2000 writes: .
"Security of supply aims to reduce the risks of over dependence. Among the objectives to be pursued are those balancing between and diversifying of the various sources of supply by product and by geographical region. .
The focus of the literature on EU-Turkey relations is still concentrate by and large on other issues such as religion, Cyprus issue, military's involvement into politics and human rights concerns but not energy.
