Tensions flare in the east Mediterranean as Turkey riles rivals over gas reserves
The US Geological Survey estimates the natural gas reserves in the east Mediterranean to be up to 6.31 trillion cubic metres
Turkey is squaring up to Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Israel over the exploitation of natural gas in the east Mediterranean.
The US Geological Survey estimates natural gas reserves in the region to be up to 6.3 trillion cubic metres.
The discoveries in February, spanning from Israel’s Tamar gas field in 2009 to Cyprus’s Glaucus-1, have been complemented by multibillion-dollar deals to turn gas from these sites and other Cypriot and Israeli fields to liquid at facilities in Egypt, whose own gas field, Zohr, is the largest in the Mediterranean.
There are also plans to build a pipeline involving Greece, Cyprus and Israel that could help create a “regional gas hub” with Egypt.
Europe is the primary market for the gas, with countries keen to reduce their dependence on Russia.
But Turkey sent vessels to drill for gas off the coast of Cyprus, an island Ankara divided along ethnic lines when it invaded it in 1974, ostensibly to protect the Turkish minority who lived there.
Ankara’s decision to drill inside Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone provoked the US and Ethe U, of which the internationally recognised government in the Greek part of Cyprus is a member.
In response to pressure from Cyprus and Greece, the EU last month placed sanctions on Turkey, reducing financial assistance and halting high-level talks with Ankara.
Egypt, an important member in a potential gas trading bloc that includes Israel, Greece and Cyprus, condemned Turkey for its move and warned Ankara against making unilateral moves that could raise tension in the region.
Turkish exploration and the response it has drawn has deepened the distrust and rivalry that defined relations between Turkey on the one hand and Israel, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece on the other.
While the chances of conflict over the issue are low, military stand-offs between the countries cannot be ruled out.
“I don’t think the gas standoff in the east Mediterranean will lead to an armed conflict. Turkey is not looking for that,” said Charlie Charalambous, editor-in-chief of the Cypriot weekly Financial Mirror.
“Turkey’s message is that it is a geopolitical player that counts and that others in the region cannot do anything without it.”
How Turkey could fit into this burgeoning trading bloc is unclear, especially given its argument for a seat at the table is primarily based on what it sees as the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, whose state is recognised only by Ankara.
“The fact so many parties are involved further complicates the problem,” Cairo University political science lecturer Hassan Nafaa said in a television interview.
“That Turkey has a problem with every one of them does not help either. Resolving the political problems between them and Turkey is the only way towards an agreement for sharing the gas.”
Egypt, which started production at its Zohr gas field in December 2017, has been at odds with Turkey over what Cairo considers to be Ankara’s support for extremists, while the Greek Cypriot government views Turkey as a foreign occupier that is preventing the union of the island.
Greece and Turkey are at loggerheads chiefly over territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea, while Israel and Turkey have not had positive relations since Israeli troops boarded a flotilla of Turkish vessels attempting to break the Israeli siege of Gaza to deliver aid supplies in 2010. Israeli soldiers killed nine activists on board.