19
my standard reference resources. I have also secured access to some of the major
oil pipeline companies operating in the Caspian, including SOCAR, BP, TPAO,
BOTAS, Shell, and Exxon Mobile.
Interviews
Written and verbal interviews were conducted. The total number of interviews to
date is 86. Interviews have been made with US former ambassadors to Caspian
states as well as former US diplomats who worked in the Department of State and
Defense. Some of the energy experts interviewed themselves have worked directly
in the Caspian region, including the US special envoy for Eurasian Energy. Other
interviewees included analysts at US and EU-based Think Tanks as well as university
professors who have published works on US energy policy and foreign policy
toward the Central Asian and Caspian Sea area. The majority of interview were
conducted in English, but others were conducted in Turkish and Azerbaijani Turkish.
Face-to-face interviews were usually completed within an hour. I asked 8 general
questions of respondents, sometimes encouraging their elaboration with a maximum of 12 questions. Some reasons were in selection energy experts and foreign
policy analyst, they have experience in this era, some of them served as diplomats
or directors and managers in international oil companies which they have operated
some transit project in the Caspian sea, majority of energy experts and foreign policy which I made an interview with them has some publication about energy diplomacy and US foreign policy toward the Caspian Sea, they also attended energy-related
conferences and made presentation about energy diplomacy in the Caspian Sea and
geopolitical importance of Caspian Energy resources from the world energy market.
I also selected some analysts from regional states with the aim of understanding
interregional policies. Whereas my research topic was US Energy Diplomacy in the
Caspian Sea during the Bush and Obama Administration, I tried to design a question
in a way which could be related to both administrations. In which administration
what were the main developments in the region? I was interested to know that is
there any relation between US energy policy and foreign policy in the Caspian Sea.
During the Bush era, the US used Central Asian countries to send military troops to
Afghanistan and Iraq. In this regard, the US was very active in the region. I asked
energy experts and foreign policy analysts why US policymakers lost this interest
toward Central Asia in general and the Caspian Sea in particular. In the Bush era,
US energy consumption increased, and the US was interested in finding more
energy resources in a diversification drive, and Caspian energy resources hold a
potential to be one of alternative for Gulf and Middle East oil which were US major
oil supplier. During the Obama era, meanwhile, the US enjoyed a shale gas revolution and one of the interview questions causally related to how this affected foreign policy.
Interviews
my standard reference resources. I have also secured access to some of the major
oil pipeline companies operating in the Caspian, including SOCAR, BP, TPAO,
BOTAS, Shell, and Exxon Mobile.
Interviews
Written and verbal interviews were conducted. The total number of interviews to
date is 86. Interviews have been made with US former ambassadors to Caspian
states as well as former US diplomats who worked in the Department of State and
Defense. Some of the energy experts interviewed themselves have worked directly
in the Caspian region, including the US special envoy for Eurasian Energy. Other
interviewees included analysts at US and EU-based Think Tanks as well as university
professors who have published works on US energy policy and foreign policy
toward the Central Asian and Caspian Sea area. The majority of interview were
conducted in English, but others were conducted in Turkish and Azerbaijani Turkish.
Face-to-face interviews were usually completed within an hour. I asked 8 general
questions of respondents, sometimes encouraging their elaboration with a maximum of 12 questions. Some reasons were in selection energy experts and foreign
policy analyst, they have experience in this era, some of them served as diplomats
or directors and managers in international oil companies which they have operated
some transit project in the Caspian sea, majority of energy experts and foreign policy which I made an interview with them has some publication about energy diplomacy and US foreign policy toward the Caspian Sea, they also attended energy-related
conferences and made presentation about energy diplomacy in the Caspian Sea and
geopolitical importance of Caspian Energy resources from the world energy market.
I also selected some analysts from regional states with the aim of understanding
interregional policies. Whereas my research topic was US Energy Diplomacy in the
Caspian Sea during the Bush and Obama Administration, I tried to design a question
in a way which could be related to both administrations. In which administration
what were the main developments in the region? I was interested to know that is
there any relation between US energy policy and foreign policy in the Caspian Sea.
During the Bush era, the US used Central Asian countries to send military troops to
Afghanistan and Iraq. In this regard, the US was very active in the region. I asked
energy experts and foreign policy analysts why US policymakers lost this interest
toward Central Asia in general and the Caspian Sea in particular. In the Bush era,
US energy consumption increased, and the US was interested in finding more
energy resources in a diversification drive, and Caspian energy resources hold a
potential to be one of alternative for Gulf and Middle East oil which were US major
oil supplier. During the Obama era, meanwhile, the US enjoyed a shale gas revolution and one of the interview questions causally related to how this affected foreign policy.
Interviews