CENTRAL NEWS
Turkey cannot stop the pipeline project to connect Greece and Italy to Cypriot and Israeli gas reserves since it is a signatory of an energy treaty that prevents such a move, wrote energy affairs editor Kostis Geropoulos for New Europe, on Thursday.
Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Israel reached an agreement to build the estimated $7 billion pipeline in November 2018.
Tensions have increased between Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel over potentially rich gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey says some parts of the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (EEZ) lie on its continental shelf and objects to drilling by Cyprus which it calls an infringement on the rights of Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway Republic of Northern Cyprus.
“Whoever, has EEZ rights over the seas between Cyprus and Crete can only make environmental objections and may request rerouting of the pipeline, but according to the Energy Charter Treaty cannot stop it,” Geropoulos said.
Tensions have further escalated in the region after Turkey Ankara struck two deals with the internationally-recognised government in Libya; an agreement that establishes Turkey and Libya as maritime neighbours, and a security agreement that allows Turkey to transfer arms and troops to help the Libyan government in the ongoing war in the country.
Greece says the maritime deal ignores the territorial waters around its islands of Rhodes and Crete and is meant to block a gas pipeline to Europe the country plans to build with Cyprus, Egypt and Israel.
And, Turkey’s maritime deal with Libya has prompted Greece, Israel and Cyprus to hasten the EastMed pipeline project, according to Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company CEO Charles Ellinas
“To a large extent, it is. However, the plan to sign such an agreement has been in place since last year,” Ellinas said.
