Turkey’s importance to the EU should not be underestimated
Turkey’s unique geopolitical position, straddling both Europe and Asia (encompassing its proximity in the Middle East, Caucuses, Balkans, and Black & Caspian Sea regions specifically), has placed the country into a very advantageous position amongst all actors that are involved in any of these areas. Its longstanding membership in NATO and the Council of Europe, in addition to its historical military partnership with Israel, further underscores the fact that Turkey has long been, and continues to be, a partner of strategic importance to the West. Furthermore, with no end in sight to Europe’s reliance on imported Eurasian and Russian gas supplies, Turkey’s territory is the crossroads for the planned NABUCCO gas pipeline, which intends to decrease European reliance on Russian gas.

• June 2, 2010

Turkmenistan has launched work on a new gas pipeline that will connect the hydrocarbon-rich Central Asian country with western markets and decrease its reliance on Russia's delivery network.

• June 1, 2010

The head of Russia’s Gazprom on Friday concluded in talks with Ukraine’s energy minister that Gazprom and Ukraine’s state-run energy company Naftogaz Ukrainy, could move toward creating a joint venture on a parity basis.

• June 1, 2010

The 189 member nations of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on Friday adopted a detailed plan of small steps down a long road toward nuclear disarmament, including a sharply debated proposal to move toward banning doomsday arms from the Middle East.

• May 29, 2010

For over a week, a Norwegian oil company has been scrambling to stabilize pressure levels in one of its North Sea oil platforms. Norwegian environmental groups say the company has lost control over the situation.

• May 28, 2010

Events this week confirm that Turkmenistan has taken a decisive strategic decision to diversify its gas exports not only beyond Russia but also beyond China.

• May 28, 2010

President Mikheil Saakashvili on Wednesday oversaw Georgia's first military parade since the 2008 war with Russia and urged the army to stand firm against what he called a continuing threat from "outside forces".

• May 27, 2010

A week after announcing a uranium-swap agreement with Turkey and Brazil, Iran on Monday formally submitted the proposal to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna — and in doing so, as Tehran sees it, put the proverbial ball back in the court of the U.S. and its allies.

• May 27, 2010