Turkey does not recognize signed with Egypt and Greece an agreement on the demarcation of Maritime borders and the establishment of exclusive economic zones. Athens does not hide the fact that he took this step in response to signed by Ankara and the national consensus Government of Libya Memorandum of understanding on Maritime zones. The agreement contradict each other — the parties applying for the same water. The question is how the participants will now defend their borders.
August 6, Egypt and Greece signed an agreement on the demarcation of Maritime borders and the establishment of exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean sea. The announcement was made Thursday during a press conference of the foreign Ministers of Greece and Egypt Nikos Dendias and Sameh shoukry.
This document allows you to Athens and Cairo to get the maximum benefit from the extraction of oil and gas in the Mediterranean sea.
“This agreement allows both countries to move forward in maximizing the use of available resources in the exclusive economic zone, is especially promising oil and gas reserves,” said Shukri.
His Greek counterpart, preventing the reaction of other global players, said that the agreement is fully consistent with international law.
“the Agreement with Egypt is under international law, respects all the concepts of international and Maritime law, and good neighborly relations, and promotes security and stability in the region,” said Dendias.
The agreement of Greece and Egypt was a response to Turkey’s attempts to assert their rights in the region. To do this, Ankara joined in the inter-Libyan conflict between Government of national consensus (NTC), headed by Fitom Saranjam and the Libyan national army (LNA) led by field Marshal Khalifa the Haftarot.
At the end of last year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fayez Sarraj approved signed in November a Memorandum on military cooperation and on mutual understanding on Maritime zones.
According to the document, Turkey can at any moment to put their troops, if requested by Sarraj. Ankara has sent additional weapons and military advisers despite the introduction at the Berlin conference of embargo on arms supplies to Libya.
Part of Turkey really has changed the balance of power. On 4 June, the NTC fighters regained control over Tripoli, and the day before the government army after 14 months of fighting, knocked out of the capital airport detachments of the Haftarot. Then Ankara drew attention to its benefits from the agreement.
Between Turkey and Libya is the Greek island of Crete. A Memorandum of understanding on Maritime zones conducts a vertical line through the Mediterranean sea, disrupting the plans of Greece, Cyprus and Israel on exploration of oil and gasand.
From agreements of Turkey, Libya and Greece with Egypt it appears that the parties assert their rights to the same water.
Natural gas reserves in the region estimated at about 122 trillion cubic metres, for such rich resources claimed by Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Libya and Egypt (at least). The addition of the Turkey map does not recognize the right on the shelf for the Greek Islands.
Ankara has for a long time feels resentful due to the fact that resources in the Mediterranean sea divided without her. The first oil field was discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2009. A year later appeared the “Energy triangle” — an Alliance of Greece, Cyprus and Israel, is designed for collaborative exploration of natural gas offshore in the Mediterranean sea.
Voice of Turkey claiming their rights in connection with its claims on the Northern part of Cyprus, was ignored because of its complex relations with most of the interested players.
Expected Ankara’s actions have led Greece into a rage, she stood up for the European Union. Soon, the country made a step back. In January, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades signed an agreement on the construction of the EastMed pipeline to transport gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe.
EastMed Turkey is perceived as a direct competitor to the “Turkish stream”.
The acceleration of the procedure of conclusion of agreements on gas pipeline construction was a response to the Memorandum, Turkey and Libya. The pipeline may pass between Cyprus and Greece in the Memorandum, Turkey declared the territory its Maritime zone.
Meanwhile, Ankara vengeance has conducted drilling for oil and gas in the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean. The situation continued to worsen. On 9 June an agreement on the delimitation of Maritime zones was signed by Greece and Italy. Soon Egypt stated that Turkey planned exploration potential to affect water, exclusive rights to which belong to Cairo.
Greece has openly stated that the agreement with Egypt was signed in response to the actions of Turkey and its Memorandum with Libya.
“After signing our agreement a non-existent Memorandum between Turkey and Libya got to where he was from the first moment: in the trash,” said the Minister of foreign Affairs of Greece.
Ankara, however, has said it will not recognize the agreement of Athens and Cairo.
“Between Greece and Egypt there is the Maritime boundary, as stated in the statement of the Turkish foreign Ministry. — Agreement on the so-called Maritime border demarcation, which was signed today, for us a void provided in the agreement, the territory is on the Turkish continental shelf, notified to the UN.”
“There is no doubt that Turkey will not allow any activity in this area and will continue to protect the legitimate rights and interests of our country and of the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean”, — stated in the message.
Of course, an agreement on Maritime zones, are so contradictory, complicating an already confusing and tense situation in the region. However, how it will be implemented in practice and what will result is unknown, notes in a conversation with “Газетой.Ru” the Director of the Center for the study of new Turkey Yuri Mavashev.
“Actually on paper is now to agree on anything. The main question is whether Contracting parties or signatories to ensure the implementation of this decision, including by military means?”, — said the expert.
From Greece, however, already hear the hints of a more decisive methods of solving the problem.
“In recent years, Turkey’s behaviour was quite aggressive. I believe that the only way for Greece to cope with such behavior is, on the one hand, to use all his diplomatic Arsenal, and with another — to care about strengthening the deterrent component of the armed forces,” — said the head of the Ministry of defense of Greece Nikos Panayotopoulos in June.
Athens raised the issue of the conduct of Turkey during the meeting of defense Ministers of the NATO countries, however, the prospects for real protection written in the agreement of boundaries Yuri Mavashev believes.
“I Believe that only Turkey of the following parties are able to provide their rights by military means. Egypt and Greece do not possess sufficient military capabilities. Without the support of third countries (for example France), the chances of Athens and Cairo, even if joint action is equal to, say, a little more than zero. Membership in NATO is no longer the factor that will save the parties from the conflict. The Alliance is experiencing a deep crisis,” — said the expert.
