Turkey Prepares New Maritime Claims Bill That Could Renew Tensions With Greece and Cyprus

Turkish emblem with Greece successful the background. Credit: Six intheworld / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0

Turkey is preparing a measure to formalize its maritime claims successful disputed parts of the Aegean and eastbound Mediterranean. The determination could renew tensions with Greece and Cyprus implicit offshore vigor rights and disputed oversea borders.

According to a Bloomberg report, the connection would beryllium submitted to the Turkish parliament arsenic portion of Ankara’s effort to fortify its jurisdictional claims. The draught measure would besides question to asseverate Turkish rights implicit imaginable earthy state reserves successful contested waters. The study did not accidental erstwhile the measure would beryllium introduced.

The planned authorities would people a ceremonial measurement by Turkey to reenforce claims it has agelong made successful the region. Ankara says it has the close to support its interests successful adjacent seas. It besides argues that Turkish Cypriots should stock successful the benefits of vigor resources astir Cyprus.

Energy rights stay a flashpoint

The Aegean and eastbound Mediterranean person agelong been among the astir delicate areas successful relations betwixt Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. The disputes impact oversea borders, drilling rights, airspace, and the power of offshore vigor resources.

Natural state has made those disagreements much urgent. Parts of the eastbound Mediterranean are believed to clasp large gas reserves. That has accrued contention among determination powers and added economical value to long-standing governmental disputes.

Any effort to specify oregon grow maritime jurisdiction tin rapidly trigger a diplomatic response. For that reason, the projected Turkish measure is apt to beryllium intimately watched by Athens, Nicosia, Brussels, and Washington.

Erdogan state warns against cooperation

Earlier this week, Devlet Bahceli, a adjacent state of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned against determination vigor and information practice involving France, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.

Turkey is reportedly preparing authorities to asseverate maritime jurisdiction successful disputed areas of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. The draught instrumentality is seen arsenic Ankara’s latest measurement to formalize claims implicit imaginable offshore earthy state reserves.

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“Turkey is not a state that seeks tension,” Bahceli told parliament. But helium warned that immoderate determination ignoring Turkish maritime claims oregon Turkish Cypriot rights would punctual a “strong response.”

His remarks reflected Ankara’s interest implicit determination partnerships that it views arsenic limiting Turkish power successful the eastbound Mediterranean.

U.S. and EU ticker developments

Bloomberg reported that Washington has encouraged dialog betwixt Athens and Ankara. The European Union has besides antecedently warned Turkey implicit hydrocarbon exploration activities successful disputed waters.

The measure has not yet been formally submitted to parliament. But if it moves forward, it could go different root of friction successful a portion already shaped by vigor contention and unresolved territorial disputes.

For Turkey, the draught instrumentality would beryllium a mode to spot its maritime claims into a stronger ineligible framework. For Greece and Cyprus, it could beryllium seen arsenic a nonstop situation to their rights successful contested waters.

The eastbound Mediterranean remains important for energy, trade, and security. Any caller ineligible determination by Ankara could truthful transportation consequences beyond Turkey’s borders.