Turkey and the battle of gas in the Mediterranean .. Protect interests or prove existence?

Zaher al-Baik-Ankara

Renewed controversy over the exploration of natural gas east of the Mediterranean, while the international parties expressed concern about the start of Turkey exploration on the continental shelf.

The movements of Turkish ships recently come to the eastern Mediterranean within the framework of the conclusion of treaties from the countries of the region without the involvement of Turkey, such as those signed by Egypt and Cyprus in 2013 for gas exploration.

On June 20, a Turkish port ship, Yawoz, started drilling for the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is preparing to start drilling operations in support of the Fatih ship, which is already located in western Cyprus, and the Berberus oil and gas exploration vessel. .

The US Geological Survey estimated the entire average gas reserves at 122 trillion cubic feet, including in regional waters, while oil investments in Greek Cyprus were estimated at 198 billion cubic meters of gas in 2012, which is expected to provide $ 39 billion Includes exploration share.

Noble Energy announced the discovery of the offshore Aphrodite field in 2011, with natural gas reserves estimated at between 5 and 8 billion cubic feet.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982, states that each country has what it calls a "pure economic zone" only 200 nautical miles. In the case of the Mediterranean, countries with common maritime borders have shorter distances.

Egypt and Turkey have a combined border of 322 kilometers, 274 nautical miles, without the Greek-controlled island of Castorizo. This means that Ankara and Cairo are better than Greek Cypriots and Greece, with a border of 297 nautical miles.

The giant Exxon Mobil Corporation announced in March the discovery of a large natural gas field, which Cyprus considered one of the largest discoveries in the world in the last two decades, the size of reserves between 5 and 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

joint project
Greece has been coordinating Cyprus with Israel without involving the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which Ankara has vehemently rejected from the start because it has spotted attempts to work on a joint project between Greece, Greek Cyprus and Israel.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mouloud Chaouchoglu said that the agreement between Egypt and Cyprus on defining the exclusive economic zone four years ago has no legal status because it violates the Turkish continental shelf. Egypt quickly states that any attempt to prejudice or diminish its sovereign rights in the region Will meet with the appropriate confrontation and in all ways and means.

According to media reports, the $ 40 billion southern Mediterranean pipeline project, an ambitious project involving 11 companies and seven governments, the largest infrastructure project covering 3,500 kilometers, will transport gas from the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece and the Adriatic Sea To southern Italy, and from there to distribution to European markets.

It is reported that Turkey will benefit from tariffs and customs because the pipeline will pass through its territory, and this will undoubtedly reduce its dependence on Russian gas, which feeds 60% of Turkish consumption, according to figures of the International Energy Agency, the amount of gas to be transferred by the southern gas corridor will be Up to 16 billion cubic meters annually.

International dimensions
On the international dimensions of these tensions in the Mediterranean, the professor of international relations at the University of Najmuddin Erbakan, Gokhan Bozbash, said that the latest discovery announced in February was related to a giant natural gas tank in the Glacos 1 field off the coast of Cyprus at between 5 and 8 trillion Cubic feet. And reached the US company "ExxonMobil" giant, while Ankara stopped a ship associated with the Italian company "Eni" more than a year ago, as well as another presence of the company "Total" French.

"The Mediterranean has a huge reservoir of gas that makes it a strategic treasure for the countries of the region, although the economic dimension is a major cause of the conflict. The political dimension is another important aspect of the conflict in light of the ongoing tension between Turkey, Greece and Egypt," Bouzbach told Al Jazeera.net. .

Turkey, despite improving its strategic relations with Russia in its energy transfer plans, maintains that gas cooperation with Israel would mean its participation in sharing more than 1 trillion cubic meters of these resources, getting a fair share of 235 billion euros, reducing its need for Russian and Iranian gas, According to Bozbash.

He pointed out that the maximum weakness in Ankara is related to the availability of energy, as it imports about 60% of the gas consumed from Russia, considering the huge discoveries on the average, which began to appear successively since 2009, a great coveted.

Military insurance
Increased tensions and naval military movements in the Eastern Mediterranean region have revived debate in Turkey on the establishment of a permanent naval base in the Turkish part of Cyprus.

According to the Turkish press, the Turkish navy has submitted a report and recommendation to the Foreign Ministry on the urgent need to establish a base at an appropriate location there.

The report noted that such a rule would also preserve the rights and interests of northern Cyprus and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, prevent violations of maritime energy zones, and give North Cyprus and Turkey stronger papers in any negotiations that might resume on the Cyprus crisis.

The report recommended that the proposed naval base should be modeled on the British sovereign base in Greek Cyprus.

Higher levels
The newspaper "Yeni Ahad" Turkish security sources in Ankara discuss the idea at the highest levels of government, and noted the newspaper the attention of Turkish decision-makers more than usual the sovereign rights of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.

The former Turkish navy commander, Devrem Yailali, believes the Navy's recommendation to establish a permanent base in northern Cyprus is one of the most recent geopolitical developments.

He says in a television interview with the Turkish channel "NTV" that such a base in northern Cyprus will provide great facilities for the Navy, and it is also important to protect them from possible threats from land and air, so is expected to anchor a number of submarines, in addition to short patrol cruisers Range and battleships and a number of frigates that must exist. "