Despite Tensions With Cyprus, Greece and the EU, Turkey Continues Gas Drilling In Eastern Mediterranean
July 3, 2021, 5:59 am

Despite Tensions With Cyprus, Greece and the EU, Turkey Continues Gas Drilling In Eastern Mediterranean

Turkish Navy warship patroling next to Turkey's drilling ship

RT reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will continue its exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean, activity that has previously sparked high tensions with Cyprus, Greece, and the EU. Greece

Earlier in December, the EU threatened sanctions over Ankara ramping up its pursuit of hydrocarbon fuel reserves in disputed waters off Cyprus.

According to RT, Brussels later dropped its threat after Turkey agreed to withdraw a research ship from the area.

But on Friday, Erdogan said Turkey had received “signals of natural gas” in the region and would continue to defend its rights to explore the waters, without providing further details.

“Whatever our rights are, we will take those one way or another. And we will carry out our oil exploration operations in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, and all those seas,” he said in a speech. Greece

After the EU dropped its sanctions threat, Turkey has been engaged in talks since January to improve relations with the bloc and Greece.

Turkey is also engaged in accession negotiations to join the EU, which launched in 2005. However, the European Parliament last month called on the European Commission to suspend the talks if it does not address a number of key areas.

Brussels has also accused Turkey of unauthorized drilling near Cyprus, with the island itself a point of discord due to Ankara’s claims over part of the country and not recognizing the Greek Cypriot government in the south.

In addition, the EU accuses Turkey of “backsliding” in the areas of human rights and freedom of expression due to Erdogan’s domestic policies. Greece

The bloc claims the Turkish government’s alleged judicial crackdown on journalists and politicians, and its abandonment of an international treaty to prevent violence against women, put it at odds with the EU’s values. Turkey has denied the claims.

Erdogan’s comments on Friday come after the EU last week agreed to provide Turkey with €3.5 billion ($4.1 billion) to help it manage the hosting of Syrian refugees until 2024. Greece

Turkey’s hosting of some 3.6 million registered refugees has been another source of Turkish-EU disagreement, and Ankara has called on Brussels to engage further to resolve the situation. Greece

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Source: RT

Image source: AFP-RT

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.