Page 18 - MEOG Week 37

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

Minister Nikos Christodoulides, told eastern Mediterranean and uphold the basic want to actually restart. And this government
reporters: “Increased military tensions help human rights of its citizens. also has not been willing to restart the
no one but adversaries who would like to see “[Our ties] are at a watershed moment in exploratory talks, so we have to make an
division in transatlantic unity. Countries in history, which will go to one side or the other, agreement,” he said.
the region need to resolve disagreements, depending on what happens in the next days,” Last week brought a war of words between
including on security and energy resource and Borrell said. French President Emmanuel Macron,
maritime issues diplomatically and peacefully.” EU leaders are set to meet at a September Greece’s most outspoken ally in the eastern
Pompeo said his trip to Cyprus would 24-25 summit to discuss Turkey and Mediterranean dispute, and Erdogan. Macron
complement phone calls by US President further consider whether a strategy driven drew the wrath of his Turkish counterpart
Donald Trump with Erdogan and Greek by sanctions should be adopted. Ankara’s by stating that his problem is not with the
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. gunboat-backed showdown with bloc Turkish people, for whom he has great
The European Union has said it will draw members Greece and Cyprus over gas and respect, but with the Erdogan government.
up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the oil exploration entitlements in various parts Erdogan responded with characteristic angry
end of September unless Ankara comes to of the eastern Mediterranean is top of the rhetoric on September 12, telling Macron “not
the negotiating table to resolve the territorial agenda, while the Turkish interventions in to mess” with Turkey.
dispute with Greece and Cyprus. the Libyan and Syrian civil wars, and Turkey’s BNE
The seven EU members with bellicose posturing on the side of Azerbaijan
Mediterranean coastlines gathered for a following its border skirmishes with Armenia
summit in Corsica, France. They said in a in July, are also causing consternation, OIL
joint communique that they reiterated their with eurocrats concerned that Turkey is
“full support and solidarity with Cyprus increasingly asserting itself as a regional bully. Iran charity to develop
and Greece in the face of the repeated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
infringements on their sovereignty [...] as well stark lurch into authoritarianism since the Marun oil field
as confrontational actions by Turkey”. failed coup against his administration in July
“We maintain that in the absence of 2016 had already rid Brussels of any notion A company owned by Iran’s biggest state-
progress in engaging Turkey into a dialogue that Turkey could progress its decades-long controlled charity has signed a contract to
and unless it ends its unilateral activities, ambition of becoming an EU member in the develop part of the country’s second-largest
the EU is ready to develop a list of further foreseeable future. oil field.
restrictive measures that could be discussed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Sina Energy Development Co. will carry
at the European Council of Sept 24-25,” they called on September 15 for “tangible out drilling and repair work on 18 wells as
added. solidarity” from the EU in tackling both well as building pipelines for Phases 1 and 4 of
BNE the migrant crisis and east Mediterranean the Marun oil field in southwestern Khuzestan
tensions with Turkey. province, a report on mfnews.ir said, quoting
EU’s relationship with as saying that Greece was ready to enter the company’s managing director, Javad Owji.
Mitsotakis was reported by Reuters
Sina Energy was established in 2007
Turkey reaches watershed exploratory talks with Turkey “immediately” and is owned by the Bonyad-e Mostazafan
Foundation, which also reported the deal
on the maritime zones if Ankara ended its
moment “provocations” in the region. on its website. The foundation is a religious
endowment for war veterans and the poor
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut
The European Union’s relationship with Cavusoglu said his country has been that is ultimately managed by Supreme Leader
Turkey is at a turning point, the bloc’s top proposing to restart exploratory talks with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
diplomat said on September 15. Speaking in Greece. “Exploratory talks actually cover all It controls a large number of industrial and
the European Parliament, Josep Borrell urged disputed issues between Turkey and Greece... commercial assets, including factories, mines
Ankara to back down from conflict in the The previous government [in Greece]... didn’t and construction firms.

P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 37 16•September•2020