Turkey is not often thought of as a sea power, but it borders three seas, and its control of these waters has always made it a force to be reckoned with; it is also a trade and transportation bridge linking Europe with the Middle East, the Caucasus, and on up to the central Asian countries, with which it shares history and, in some regions, ethnic ties. Turkey is determined to be at the crossroads of history even if the traffic can at times be hazardous.
