New gas fields add more heat to already simmering Mediterranean
The recent gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean Sea have given the concerned countries, mainly Egypt, Turkey and Israel, a new urgency in settling their maritime border disputes.
CAIRO — Some observers speculate that gas exploration activities in the Mediterranean will create a new axis of conflict in the region. The conflict over gas reserves in the Mediterranean has pushed Cairo to rush to find solutions to the demarcation of the overlapping maritime border between Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.
Egypt has established alliances with regional countries sharing its fears about Turkish and Israeli groups seeking to explore gas in the deep waters of the Mediterranean. At a trilateral summit in Cairo on Nov. 8, 2014, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.
The meeting resulted in the Cairo Declaration, which outlined key steps for cooperation over gas exploration in the Mediterranean, most importantly the resumption of negotiations (between Egypt and Cyprus and between Egypt and Greece) in the demarcation of the maritime border, and calling upon Turkey to stop all seismic surveys in Cyprus maritime areas.
On Nov. 10, Turkey responded by declaring that naval troops are permitted to apply new rules of engagement in the area.
