Page 11 - MEOG Week 03

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EU cuts Turkish aid citing Syrian invasion and Cyprus drilling
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ThE EU has cut pre-accession aid to Turkey by 75%, according to a letter sent to the European Parliament by EU foreign affairs commissioner Josep Borrell and seen by the Essen-based Funke Mediengruppe.
Turkey will now only receive €168mn ($186mn), of which €150mn is earmarked for strengthening democracy and the rule of law. The rest is to be spent on rural development.
Borrell reportedly justified the cut by saying it was in response to Turkey’s decision to stage a military operation in northeastern Syria and conduct unauthorised gas drilling off the coast of Cyprus, where Turkish drillships are said to have violated Nicosia’s exclusive economic zone.
In drawing up a multi-billion-euro package to block migrants refugees from making their way
to the European continent via Turkey, Brussels agreed to fast-track accession talks for Ankara in 2016. But the growing authoritarianism exhib- ited by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has derailed the accession process.
The cut in aid will not impact the €3.5bn awarded to Turkey as part of the EU deal to stop migrants and refugees from crossing into Europe.
The EU has already warned Turkey of possi- ble repercussions over what it says is illegal Turk- ish gas drilling off the coast of Cyprus. Sanctions have been prepared.
Turkey insists it is drilling within territorial rights held by either Ankara or the Turkish Cyp- riots that control the Northern Cyprus breaka- way territory.™
ProJeCts & ComPanIes
East Med woes to continue as Turkey issues licences
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TURKEy says it is to issue new energy explora- tion licences for the eastern Mediterranean—but they will correspond to the controversial mari- time border it has agreed with Libya.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan out- lined the plan on January 17. It is set to worsen the row with Greece and the European Union over the maritime delineation and claims of sov- ereignty drawn up with Tripoli, which Athens says ignore the presence of the Greek island of Crete.
Turkey’s is pursuing its claims in the con- tested waters of eastern Mediterranean, despite European nations, Egypt and Israel having built a forum to promote their interests.
Ankara is already accused of conducting drilling operations within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone. The EU is considering impos- ing sanctions on Turkey over its exploration off Cyprus, while Cyprus wants the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute.
Turkey’s demands could make it more challenging and costly to construct a planned
natural-gas pipeline that could link the eastern Mediterranean basin with European markets through Cyprus, Greece and Italy.
“From now on, it is not legally possible to carry out any exploration activity or construc- tion of a pipeline in areas between Turkey and Libya without the permission of both countries,” Erdogan told a televised conference in Ankara. “We will issue licences for these areas and start exploration work in 2020.”
Turkey secured the maritime agreement from Libya’s internationally recognised government partly after agreeing military assistance in the North African nation’s civil war.
The eastern Mediterranean has been one of the world’s most prolific spots for major gas discoveries during the past decade, according to Bloomberg.
Noble Energy found the Leviathan gas field in Israeli waters in 2010 and Italy’s Eni discovered the giant Zohr deposit off the Egyptian coast in 2015. Exxon made a discovery off the southwest coast of Cyprus last year.™
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