One Month After Chasing Away A Drilling Ship, Turkey To Send Its Own Drill Ship To A Gas Field Claimed By Cyprus

The Guardian: Turkey to send drill ship to contested gas field off Cyprus

President Erdoğan says he will not let natural reserves be exploited by Greek Cypriots.

A showdown over natural gas and oil deposits in the seas off Cyprus is set to intensify, with Turkey announcing it is to send a drilling ship to the region days after the US energy company ExxonMobil dispatched its own survey vessels to the area.

As tensions flare over the potential spoils off the divided island, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has declared he will not tolerate the prospect of reserves being exploited by Greek Cypriots at a time when his country is engaged in conflicts elsewhere, not least against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

Last month, Turkish warships were ordered to prevent drilling operations by ENI, an Italian energy company commissioned by Cyprus’s government, in what was seen as a brazen act of brinkmanship.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: One month after threatening to sink a drill ship working for Cyprus .... Turkey Threatens To Sink ENI Drilling Ship Exploring For Oil And Gas Offshore Cyprus (February 23, 2018) ....Turkey is to send its own drill ship to look for gas deposits.  Not surprising .... the EU is not amused .... EU leaders set to condemn Turkey over Cyprus gas blockade (ABC News/AP). More here .... EU leaders condemn Turkish actions in Mediterranean gas standoff (Reuters).