Page 8 - MEOG Week 28 2021

MEOG POLICY MEOG

Area of focus

Turkey intends to continue

exploring East Med

TURKEY TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the new voyage as a “major escalation” and a
last week that the country intends to continue “direct threat to peace in the region”. Turkey in
carrying out hydrocarbon exploration through- return accused Athens of fuelling tensions.
out the Eastern Mediterranean despite tensions The Oruc Reis was sent to carry out work
with the European Union relating to sovereignty. south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, close to
Speaking during a visit to the north-western Turkey’s coast. Ankara had withdrawn the vessel
province of Sakarya, Erdogan said Ankara had from contested waters in the eastern Mediterra-
received “signals of natural gas” in the Eastern nean a month earlier to “allow for diplomacy”
Med, adding: “Whatever our rights are, we will before an EU summit.
take those one way or another. And we will carry At that summit, Cyprus sought sanctions
out our oil exploration operations in the eastern against Turkey, but the EU opted to give Turkey
Mediterranean, Cyprus, and all those seas.” another chance, until December, to change its
Several days later, the country’s energy min- approach to the dispute.
ister reported in its Official Gazette that state- In November, the vessel returned to port in
owned Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) had applied Turkey and Ankara resumed direct talks with
for an exploration for three areas in the Eastern Athens for the first time in five years. Two rounds
Med. of talks have been held since January, but short-
Turkey drew the ire of the EU in October last term progress is unlikely.
year when it announced that it was sending a Erdogan’s comments follow a pledge by the
seismic research vessel back into eastern Medi- EU to provide $4.13bn for Turkey to continue to
terranean waters claimed by Greece. host Syrian refugees, an offer Ankara dismissed
The announcement of the plans of the vessel, as insufficient, calling for the bloc to increase
the Oruc Reis, prompted Greece to issue a furi- efforts to co-operate.
ous new demand for European Union sanctions He will make a visit to the Turkish Republic of
on Turkey. Greece’s foreign ministry described Northern Cyprus (TRNC) next week.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 28 14•July•2021