Category: Main Issues

Turkey natural gas search stokes tensions with Cyprus

Turkey natural gas search stokes tensions with Cyprus

Row erupts after Turkish ship begins search for hydrocarbon reserves off southern shores of island

Helena Smith in Athens
guardian.co.uk

Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the Cypriot and Israeli drilling madness. Photograph: Osman Orsal/Reuters

A feud over the right to tap what could be the world’s biggest discovery of natural gas in years has stoked fierce tensions in the eastern Mediterranean pitting a newly ascendant Turkey against other countries in the region.

With a treasure trove of hydrocarbon reserves thought to lie beneath the sea, the stakes are high: the winner could emerge as an energy broker in charge of Europe’s gas supplies for decades to come.

“If the findings are as big as they say then the power political parameters of the region will shift,” said Hubert Faustmann, a political science professor at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus.

“We’re talking about trillions of cubic metres of hydrocarbons worth billions of dollars.”

The row erupted after the divided Mediterranean island instructed a US company, Noble Energy, to begin drilling off its southern shores last month.

It escalated last week after Turkey responded by deploying a seismic research vessel to the same offshore zone with an escort of gunboats.

On Thursday Israel, which has initiated a similar search in its own mineral-rich territorial waters, scrambled F-15 fighter jets to buzz the Turkish ship, according to media reports in Ankara.

Turkey reacted by sending two F-16 planes to chase the aircraft away – heightening tensions between two erstwhile allies whose relations have become increasingly strained since Israel staged a deadly attack on a Turkish aid flotilla bound for Gaza last year.

“A great deal of crisis management has been going on between diplomats behind the scenes,” said Faustmann.

“There has been a lot of militant rhetoric on the part of Turkey, a country perceiving itself more and more as the region’s hegemon.”

Ankara is vehemently opposed to the drilling saying that Cyprus, which is split between Greeks in the south and Turks in the north, should be reunited first. The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has called the Cypriot and Israeli drilling “madness”.

It is estimated that about 10tn ft of natural gas deposits could lie off Cyprus. Last year Noble announced the discovery of 16tn cubic feet of natural gas in an adjacent field in Israeli waters.

The Greek Cypriot government has mapped out 12 offshore “blocks” for gas exploration, saying ultimately Turkish Cypriots in the island’s breakaway north will also benefit.

“As an internationally recognised state, a member of the UN and the EU, the Republic of Cyprus is exercising its sovereign rights,” said Stefanos Stefanou, a government spokesman.

Turkey, the only country to recognise northern Cyprus, retaliated by signing an underwater exploration agreement with the tiny entity.

Athens, a staunch supporter of the Greek Cypriots, reacted in turn with the Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, urging Erdogan to show “calm and self-restraint”.

But with mineral wealth a potentially tantalising unifier and the spectre of an armed standoff also not far away, the dispute has injected new impetus into resolving the island’s ongoing division.

Settlement of the problem has evaded peacemakers for nearly 40 years.

Cyprus has been partitioned since Turkish troops, prompted by a coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece, invaded in 1974.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are due to report to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, at the end of October in what has been described as a “critical” phase of negotiations.

“This could be a catalyst for the settlement of the Cyprus problem or the dispute that proves to be a spoiler for ongoing negotiations to reunify the island,” said Faustmann.

via Turkey natural gas search stokes tensions with Cyprus | World news | The Guardian.

October 3, 2011
Talaat Pasha’s Report on the Armenian Genocide Launches in Istanbul

Epress.am — British-Armenian journalist and director of the London-based Gomidas Institute Ara Sarafian recently travelled to Istanbul to launch his newly published book Talaat Pasha’s Report on the Armenian Genocide in Turkey.

During a joint press conference with other writers, Sarafian responded to attacks by Turkish writers about the book.

This work is a serious appraisal of a report found in the possession of Talaat Pasha, the Ottoman Minister of Interior responsible for the Armenian Genocide of 1915. It concludes that the report was a confidential account of the Armenian Genocide based on Ottoman records. It presents Talaat’s data in detail and includes additional materials such as two illustrative color maps and appendixes.

Haber Turk writer Murat Bardakçi, who published the Talat Pasa diaries in 2008, wrote in his coloumn that Ara Sarafian and members of the Armenian Diaspora stole his book. Sarafian responded that, of course, it was very important to publish the Taalat Pasha’s Black Book (“Talat Pasa’nin Evrak-i Metrukesi” in Turkish) but Bardakçi analyzed the report incorrectly which is understandable considering Turkey’s official stance on the Genocide. Sarafian added, nevertheless, we have to express much gratitude to Murat Bardakçi, because he had the courage to publish this book, which in itself rejects the Turkish version of the events of 1915.

In describing the book, Sarafian writes:

“Recent documents released in Turkish archives, combined with surviving documents from Talaat’s Pasha’s private papers, confirm that Talaat was indeed the architect of the Armenian Genocide. There is a clear record that he ordered and supervised the general deportation of Ottoman Armenians in 1915-16, and that he followed the fate of such deportees from close quarters. Talaat was sent updates regarding Armenians at different stages of deportations, as well as information about the fate of others who were subjected to special treatment.

“Ottoman records in Turkish archives, as well as Talaat’s 1917 report, show that less than 100,000 Armenians survived in the so-called resettlement zone for Armenians… According to Talaat’s figures 1,150,000 Armenians disappeared in the Ottoman Empire between 1915-1917 or they were dispersed in different provinces of the Ottoman Empire for assimilation.

“Talaat Pasha’s Report on the Armenian Genocide is the closest official Ottoman view we have of the Armenian Genocide. The report was undoubtedly prepared for Talaat Pasha and meant for his private use. It was not meant for publication and probably only survived because Talaat was assassinated in 1921 and his widow gave the report to a Turkish historian [Bardakçi] who eventually published it.”

via Talaat Pasha’s Report on the Armenian Genocide Launches in Istanbul | Massis Post Armenian News.

October 1, 2011
Is Cyprus Gas Row Feeding Turkey’s Regional Ambitions?

Dorian Jones | Istanbul

Turkey has threatened to intervene militarily if the Greek Cypriots continue with their gas exploration plans. The increasingly bitter dispute is now threatening to involve Israel. But the deepening row is now being seen as part of Ankara’s aspirations to become a regional power.

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot Leader Dervish Eroglu (L) attend a signing ceremony in New York on September 21, 2011 for a deal for offshore gas exploration in the Mediterranean

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is continuing to ratchet up tensions with Cyprus over its exploration for gas and oil in the Mediterranean. On Wednesday he launched another attack both at Nicosia and the wider international community.

“Greek Cyprus is acting provocatively by drilling, and the institutions whose mission is to protect peace remain silent, he said. Is this the way to solve problems?” Erdogan asked.

Ankara claims any exploration by Nicosia must be done in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot government, which only Turkey recognizes. That stance has been dismissed by the E.U.

Mr. Erdogan has threatened to send warships to the region, as the diplomatic row continues to deepen. But International relations expert Cengiz Aktar of Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University says Ankara has more than Cyprus in its sites.

“I don’t think its just about Cyprus, it is indeed a show of force and muscle,” said Aktar. “The government feels very confident, even over confident and would like to challenge in particular the state of Israel in the eastern Mediterranean. But do they really know how to go for it, that’s another matter.”

The Israeli dimension

Ankara is a waging a diplomatic war against its former ally Israel over its killing last year of Turkish activists seeking to break Jerusalem’s blockade of Gaza. Since then, Israel has built closer ties with the Greek Cypriot government, signing a protocol last year to explore for energy in the Mediterranean sea.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Under Secretary Selim Yenel acknowledges the dispute with Cyprus involves Israel, too.

“We have heard that there is discussion to have a joint Israeli and Greek Cypriot area. Well that means that there has to be more discussion on this we cannot just accept it unilaterally,” said Yenel.

Greek International relations expert Ioannis Grigoriadis of Ankara’s Bilkent University says such a powerful ally as Israel has emboldened the Greek Cypriots in its stand against Turkey.

“I think they do rely on a kind of Israeli support for the completion of the oil and gas exploration in southeast Mediterranean,” Grigoriadis said. “It appears there is some confidence that Turkey would not be willing to take risk of engaging in a hot conflict with Israel in the southeast Mediterranean.”

Nicosia threatens EU veto

For now neither side appears ready to back down. Nicosia has countered, threatening to veto Turkey’s EU membership bid, but that is seen as empty threat as Ankara’s bid is already at a virtual standstill.

Former Turkish diplomat Sinan Ulgen and a visiting scholar at international diplomacy organization Carnegie Europe, says the present crisis is a sign of Ankara’s new ambitions and the challenge those ambitions present to its western allies.

“This transformation from almost a compliant member of the western community, making Turkey a full EU member, to a assertive ambitious regional power is what we are seeing today,” said Ulgen.

Mr. Erdogan has successfully reached out across North Africa and the Middle East, in his support of the Arab spring. The Turkish Prime Minister has also indicated his country may enforce sanctions against Syria in line with its western allies tough stance against Damascus in its crackdown on dissent.

But observers question whether Mr. Erdogan is aware of the limits of his country’s robust regional foreign policy. Political scientist Aktar.

“Turkey was ignoring superbly the Middle East since 1923, and is discovering the region now. It’s a new comer. Its lack of institutional memory, academic memory does not have enough human resources that really understand and know the region,” said Aktar. “And apparently takes every opportunity to show its force. Show of force is fine, rhetoric is ok. But those who show force, should also know where to stop. Especially to stop short of firing.

Few people are predicting that the present crisis between Turkey and Cyprus will escalate into a full-blown conflict. But with Ankara backing its tough rhetoric with a commitment to an increase naval presence in the region, that risk still remains.

via Is Cyprus Gas Row Feeding Turkey’s Regional Ambitions? | Europe | English. VOA

October 1, 2011
NATO Leader Worried by Turkey’s Rifts With Cyprus and Israel

By STEVEN ERLANGER and STEPHEN CASTLE

BRUSSELS — NATO’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, expressed disquiet on Friday about Turkey’s more assertive foreign policy in the Mediterranean, saying that tensions over natural-gas exploration between Turkey and Cyprus as well as relations with Israel were “a matter of concern.”

Mr. Rasmussen said he did not foresee the tension turning into conflict in the Mediterranean, and he praised Turkey as a indispensable member of NATO that could help serve “as a bridge” between the West and the Arab countries now engaged in revolts and revolutions.

“Obviously the tensions between Turkey and Israel are a matter of concern,” he said in an interview here. “It’s a bilateral issue, NATO is not going to interfere with that,” he added, “but it is the interest of the alliance to see these tensions eased, because Turkey is a key ally and Israel is a valuable partner for the alliance.” Turkey has become increasingly outspoken in support of the Palestinians and in its animosity toward Israel, once an important ally.

Mr. Rasmussen emphasized that NATO, as an alliance that works by consensus, would not become involved in bilateral matters or the domestic politics of member countries.

Asked about Turkey’s warning that it might send military ships toward Cyprus, which is exploring for natural gas in the Mediterranean, as is Israel, Mr. Rasmussen said that “NATO as an organization is not going to interfere with these disputes,” while adding, “I do not envisage armed conflict in the eastern part of the Mediterranean.”

Relations with Turkey have to be managed carefully as it asserts a growing role on the global stage, he suggested. “I think Turkey can play a stabilizing role in the region and serve as a role model for countries in the region that are currently transforming from dictatorship into democracy,” he said.

Mr. Rasmussen, a former prime minister of Denmark who is now two years into his NATO post, also praised Turkey’s decision to participate in a new missile-defense system for NATO. He said it was evidence of the commitment of Turkey to the trans-Atlantic alliance and a signal that its was not turning away from its Western orientation. The government in Ankara has agreed to host on its territory a sophisticated American radar system that will form part of the missile shield.

About Russia and the decision of President Dmitri A. Medvedev to make way for Vladimir V. Putin, he said: “We’ll see what I would call continuity in the Kremlin. I don’t expect major changes there in Russian foreign and security policy.” He said he thought Russia remained committed to working with NATO on missile defense, a main aim of Mr. Rasmussen’s tenure.

Another central objective for the NATO secretary general is to persuade European allies to coordinate defense spending and cooperate on procurement to try to ensure that military capabilities improve, despite the expenditure cuts being pushed through by many national governments.

Mr. Rasmussen criticized a proposal from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain to set up a defense-planning headquarters for the European Union based in Brussels. The plan is opposed by Britain, which sees the move as a duplication of NATO facilities and a waste of money — a view echoed by Mr. Rasmussen.

“Honestly speaking, what we need is investment in military hardware and not in new bureaucracies and headquarters,” he said. “I don’t think we need more headquarters. What we need is more investment in critical military capabilities.”

“I’m neither naïve nor unrealistic,” added Mr. Rasmussen. “I know very well, as a politician, that during a period of economic austerity you cannot expect increases in defense budgets.” That fact, he said, indicated that the alliance countries “need to make more effective use of our resources through more multinational cooperation — what I call smart defense.”

Mr. Rasmussen rejected suggestions that the United States was reducing its commitment to NATO because it took a secondary role in the operations against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in Libya. “The American commitment to NATO remains as strong as ever,” he said. “The U.S. was strongly engaged in this operation, and we could not have carried out this operation successfully without the unique and essential U.S. assets.” In particular, he mentioned intelligence, drone aircraft and air-to-air refueling, all areas in which European members should invest more, he said.

“The positive story, he said, “is that Europeans took the lead and that was actually a clear response to an American request for more European engagement, a call on Europeans to take more responsibility, and the Europeans stepped up to the plate.”

He said that there was “a division of labor which makes it possible for our alliance, in a flexible way, to conduct several operations at the same time,” with the Americans leading in Afghanistan, several European nations in the forefront in Libya and the Germans taking charge in Kosovo.

via NATO Leader Worried by Turkey’s Rifts With Cyprus and Israel – NYTimes.com.

September 30, 2011
German MEP slams Ankara over Cyprus drills

Reaction shows Turkey not seriously interested in membership, Brok says

German MEP Elmar Brok has condemned Turkey's warnings and threats against EU member Cyprus.

Ankara’s response to Nicosia’s natural gas and oil exploration off the Mediterranean island’s southern coast shows Turkey is not seriously interested in becoming a European Union member, a German center-right MEP, said on Thursday.

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Elmar Brok, who is foreign policy spokesman of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, condemned Turkey’s warnings and threats against EU member Cyprus which is set to take over the bloc’s rotating presidency in mid 2012.

“This clearly shows that Turkey is not serious about its membership candidacy,” Brok told German radio.

Cyprus has signed a production-sharing contract with Noble Energy. The Houston-based firm has a concession to explore for hydrocarbons in Block 12, an area within Nicosia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Greek-speaking government has signed EEZ agreements with Egypt and Israel with a view to exploit any possible energy reserves in the area.

Turkey, which does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus in the island’s south, opposes any drilling, insisting the profits from any discoveries must be distributed between the two communities on the island.

The dispute has also deepened Turkey’s rift with Israel, once a close economic and military partner.

“[Turkey’s] objective is to become a regional power without any EU commitments; or it would not [act in ways that] provoke the bloc’s future presidency – what is more without any reason for doing so,” Brok said.

Turkey has defied statements from the US, EU and Russia and sent Piri Reis, an aging seismic research vessel, near Block 12 where drilling has already started.

Brok’s remarks followed a vehement protest by DISY MEP Eleni Theocharous to Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule during a plenary session in Strasbourg.

“Can such behavior from a candidate member be tolerated? Will you Mr Fule make mention of Turkey’s behavior in your [Turkish progress evaluation] reports? How much longer can you tolerate such behavior against a small and powerless state? Must the rest of Cyprus be occupied before the European Parliament does something about this?,” Theocharous said.

Fule said the tiff will not affect Cyprus’s scheduled presidency, while condemning Turkey’s reaction to the drilling.

“There are rules and laws. If Turkey chooses not to respect them and it wants to freeze its ties with the EU during Cyprus’s presidency, that is its own problem,” Fule said.

Ankara earlier this month warned it would freeze relations with Brussels if Cyprus is given the EU presidency next year.

ekathimerini.com , Thursday September 29, 2011 (15:12)

via ekathimerini.com | German MEP slams Ankara over Cyprus drills.

September 30, 2011
Reflections of Israeli Crisis in Caucasus

The recent tension between Turkey and Israel has over the last year affected the fronts of alliances in the region, leading to pursuits for new forms of alliances subsequent to the current crisis. (more…)

September 28, 2011