The foreign ministers of Greece and Egypt announcing the agreement
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has announced that Egypt and Greece signed an agreement on Thursday designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries.
Shoukry made the announcement at a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Cairo.
“This agreement allows both countries to move forward in maximizing the utilization of the resources available in the exclusive economic zone, especially promising oil and gas reserves,” Shoukry said.
In Greece, diplomats said the deal effectively nullified an accord between Turkey and the internationally recognised government of Libya.
Last year, those two parties agreed to maritime boundaries in a deal Egypt and Greece decried as illegal and a violation of international law. Greece maintains it infringed on its continental shelf and also the maritime jurisdiction of the island of Crete.
Greek foreign minister Dendias said of the agreement: “It is the absolute opposite of the illegal, void and legally unfounded memorandum of understanding that was signed between Turkey and Tripoli. Following the signing of this agreement, the non existent Turkish-Libyan memorandum has ended up where it belonged from the beginning: in the trash can.”
His statement came hours after Greece said it is ready to start exploratory talks on the demarcation of maritime zones with Turkey as soon as this month.
Tensions were already high between Greece and Turkey over the exploration of energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean. The NATO members are also at odds over a range of issues from over flights in the Aegean Sea area to maritime zones in the eastern Mediterranean and the division of Cyprus.
In June, Greece and Italy signed an agreement on maritime boundaries, establishing an exclusive economic zone between the two countries.
Earlier this month, Egypt said that part of a seismic survey planned by Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean potentially encroached on waters where Cairo claims exclusive rights.
Egypt hopes to become a regional energy hub with the rapid growth in Egypt’s natural gas supplies. It formed with other countries the so-called Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, which aims to develop the region’s gas market.
Turkey is not a member of the forum, which also includes Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Italy and Jordan. LINK
Turkey’s Foreign Minister on Thursday said Greece and Egypt violated the rights and continental shelves of Turkey and Libya by signing a maritime deal on exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that the text and map of the agreement had yet to be revealed, adding: “However, it’s obvious by the given coordinates that the deal not only violates the rights and continental shelf of Turkey but also of Libya.”
“Hence, an agreement that violates our continental shelf, which we have reported to the UN, is null and void and the reason why we’ve come to this point is that countries like Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, are trying to sign agreements with Egypt and Israel while ignoring Turkey,” Cavusoglu added.
“We’ll continue to show them and the world that this agreement is null and void on the table and in the field.” LINK
A spokesman for the foreign ministry of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord issued a similar statement. LINK
Egyptian media outlet Al Ahram commented of the latest developments:
In 2019, Turkish officials and the prime minister of Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez Al-Sarraj signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.
At that time, five countries, including Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, called on the United Nations not to register the maritime boundary deal, describing it as “illegal.” The speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, in his letter to the UN, rejected the agreement.
Egypt, a close ally of Greece and Cyprus, has had strained relations with Turkey since the 2013 ouster of Egypt’s late Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
Relations further deteriorated over Turkey’s intervention in Libya and a signalled military intervention by Egypt in the war-torn country. LINK
Earlier this week, the governments of Cyprus and France announced that the Cyprus-France Defence Cooperation Agreement has entered into effect.
It ensures “energy, crisis management, counter-terrorism and maritime security cooperation between the two countries.”
According to an official announcement, the agreement, which was signed on April 4, 2017, entered into force on August 1, 2020 after the completion of formal procedures.
“This agreement strengthens and further expands the cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus with the French Republic, in matters of defence and security, while at the same time it is an important step towards achieving the common goal of ensuring a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the announcement said.
The French president has also invited the seven leaders of the southern EU member states (MED7) to a meeting in Paris at the end of August. LINK
In other developments, Libya, Turkey and Malta have issued a joint statement expressing reservations about the European Union’s Operation IRINI that aims to monitor implementation of the UN arms embargo in Libya.
The joint statement on Thursday came after meetings for the Turkish and Maltese Foreign Ministers with Libyan officials in Tripoli.
Turkish and Maltese Foreign Ministers as well as their Libyan counterpart have all voiced their reservations about IRINI naval mission, agreeing to boost their cooperation in different fields as the Maltese Foreign Minister and his Turkish counterpart reiterated their support for the Government of National Accord, saying there can be no military solution to the crisis in Libya.
They also agreed on joint cooperation in economy and efforts to limit the flow of illegal immigrants, return of Maltese and Turkish firms to work in the country and resume flights among the three countries.
The statement also said that the three countries will boost cooperation to fight illegal immigration and human trafficking as this issue isn’t just a threat to Europe but also to Libya, saying the southern borders of Libya should be well secured against human trafficking and smuggling operations.
The three countries also agreed to set up a joint working team to coordinate efforts and cooperation for the implementation of the agreements. LINK
As international developments evolve and each side seeks to consolidate its position and secure its interests, the people of Libya remain trapped in a conflict in which events on the ground in Libya are increasingly of secondary importance.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
eastern mediterranean sea level rising due to bitter turkish tears
???
I’m no psychic but I can see some boat ramming and a few commercial ships getting boarded illegally
I can see in my crystal ball EU sanctions & international courts but in RL countries like egypt & greece that operate powerful navies and airforce use sheer force to counter such threats.
siktir pust pezevengi.sit on your crystal ball and spin around
siktir coglan rezil karagoz of SF Lanet okuduğun için 5000 dolar borçlusun
Re Hacivat re maskara he aşk for it
Re puşt Do not swear ..because I know many Turkish swear words..to offer you.
you are not any better ibne
tatli su bebesi seni
Yavşak orospu pici
It has been more than a century since we drove those Turkish dogs out of the Balkans. It’s time to send them back to Asia. Shall we gather to liberate Constantinople? Поздрав из Србије!
Greetings from Greece. Of course we will … the time is approaching.
Oxi re yani don’t do it. pay your loan to Germany first. you can’t afford To go to war cost lots of money your country is bankrupt. Already speedy Gonzales
Be my guest but you will lose what you got for good Jerry boy
We need to get ready. The show in eastern metiterranean has just begun
No, its already there and has to be stopped. Uniting like that is a way. Others should learn to behave as well. Israel seemes to have taken a corner of the Lebanese sea territory.
Turkey is a weak state on the bring of economic and social collapse and Erdogan’s bluff has not been called yet. A defeat in Libya and then mounting casualties in Syria and Iraq will do the trick.
And again you talking bulllshit Mr Cockroaches
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The word → ? ← not add in the web address
Spam , scam and bullshit.
Flag it. I just did. It takes about 3 flags for the mods to take notice.
I did and that looks like 3 of us made it work.
Mustafa that is pretty petty and pathetic to downvote a comment about spam and a scam just because you think that is retaliation about comments made on matters dear too your heart. Just shows what a pathetic little boy you are. Now you can downvote this comment but don’t you think it is time you grew up and be a man instead of a weak wimp..
Turkey is a powerful country with an experienced military. Engaging troops on territory bordering a hostile Egypt will cause major embarrasment to Ankara. Please, my beloved brother, stop sending weapons to Libya!
Let’s get real. Turkey is a third world country of 84 million and has problems with all its neighbors and half of its own population including Kurds, Alevis and Christians. It has been sponsoring terrorism in Syria, a country that was a progressive peaceful neighbor. Now the Wahhabist moron goat fucker Erdogan has the Turkeys involved in wars all over the Arab world from Yemen, Iraq, Syria to Libya and perhaps Egypt soon, if Sissy drops his nuts and acts. The logistics to keep up a supply line over the 1400 plus kms of Mediterranean are even beyond the capability of superpowers, let alone a third world shithole. The only reason Turkey is acting like a thug is that no one has challenged it so far. On paper, the Egyptian military is far better armed. Turkish equipment and training is nothing to write home about. Its military was created as cannon fodder for NATO and nothing else.
I Agree. Turkey is the useful idiot. for the Zionists and the Americans. I wonder they are so stupid and they do not see that they have been thrown into the pit by the vipers;;; At the best scenario they go for a long and bloody civil war and in the worst case scenario they go for dismemberment..
keep in mind erdogan co-rules with the ultranationalist devlet ” the biscuit ” bahceli since 2016 ( some would say he is actually kind of hostage following the coup which was neither a self – coup or a FETO attempt to overthrow the government )
starting from 2016 turkish aggessive foreign policy is devised by the conspiratard ultranationalist mafia and in return they ensure AKP islamists remain in power unhindered by internal enemies. It’s no coincidence that just 2 months after the coup turkey invaded syria for the first time capturing al – bab from ISIS
call them stupid, but I would rather say they are enacting a self fulfilling prophecy that will lead to their doom
Rubbish nothing else
Turkish economy is also on the verge of collapse as the worthless Lira slides 18% in one week. Inflation and unemployment are rising and tourism is down to zero, so wonder how long Erdogan can pay for the wars, terrorism and mess he has created?
What about the rest of the world ? Are they doing great ?
But they are not fighting with all their neighbors, are they?
Not their neighbors, but they are fighting.
August is last month of financial year in many USA corporations. So it’s obvious that other currencies fall because Americans fix their profits. They sell all the stocks they have bought overseas, convert the local currencies to the US dollars and repatriate it in USA. That’s why most of world currencies are falling now.
Why do they need to sell international stocks in order to do the accounting for the FY?
I’d simply go with the explanation published in the FT: the current Turkey regime is acting so irrationally (not just in financial matters) and has pulled so many tricks on them, that foreign banks have lost faith and are no longer interested investing there.
I personally do not trust FT. It’s my point and I do not expect everybody to agree with me. Turkey has many macroeconomic issues caused by current Turkish leadership, but this lira fall is mostly related to fixing profits at the end of FY, at my point. It’s my human opinion and I can be wrong.
What old this got to do with you.. we not complaining we doing just fine you just mind your own business naaahhh back off
Just remember not too comment on countries other than Turkey and play by your own rules of minding YOUR business and making sure YOU back off. Your rule for one makes the same rule for you.. If you don’t like a comment about Turkey , and you always downvote any such comment , refute it with facts not abuse.
These stupid PUNKS have no logic or even basic understanding of FACTS. They just regurgitate BS and then resort to insults. Just treat them with contempt like I do.
back offf for gd
Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me what to do . Don’t like what I told you , tuff shit if the truth hurts. Grow up and stop being a little cry baby.
Dont mind him Mustafa, he likes to cry over Israel and Turkey in every post. Just enjoy it bro, he will always stay a loser :-)
Silly lonely rejected boy child is still licking anyone ass just to get attention.
Turkey is a nuisance for all its neighbors, it is also at war with half its population.
why nuisance? Because we trying to protect our rights
Your rights are in Central Asia. There you go to ask for them
greek
memet mameluk
Love from Greece to Turkey. We are brothers. Please cancel the EEC your agreement with the, expired, government of Libya!
deal done no turn back now… .why we cancel anyway?
b/c it’s the only way TR – GR – EG engage in fruitful negotiations to define fair maritime zones east of 28° and determine a tripoint / trinational border there
Then the Greeks will fuck you in the ass, my brother.
we will see who’s going to f””” ck who re stavro
I prefer fucking japanese women. Please do not make me fuck turkish men! Homosexuality is so abnormal! Please, turn your ass…err ships away! O gods… NOOOOOOO!!!!
Go back to your cave.. your gay priest waiting for your asss… i will visit my friend Sophie later she’s from Greece love. of my life she looks after me gd and proper perfect lady
you have no rights get lost from the surface of the planet go back to your troglodyte caves
greek
mavi vatan just became yunan + misir vatan ROFLMAO
I think turkey is on to something even though it may appear complicated at this stage. and at the end of the day, erdogan is out to get the jews in general and netanyahu in particular and for that I am prone to give him a lot of leeway.
Greece’s assistance to Lebanon with a search and rescue team from the EMAK.
https://www.proelasi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/HELLAS_1_%CE%95%CE%9C%CE%91%CE%9A.jpg
friggin pathetic – better spend the money in greece on the poor and destitute greeks of which there are tens of thousands, I’m told.
Do you live in Greece? No, then you know shit bob. Besides what that has anything to do offering humanitarian help. Are you idiot or what.
hey stupid a foreign trip to lebanon is vacation for these so called humanitarians – friggin pathetic,
IT IS TRAGIC to believe that they are telling you about Greece.
iraniterrorists tend to treat lebanon like their own backyard got triggered we did not ask their permission before sending assistance for SAR and right away showed his true colors posting pro turk/GNA comments
so turkey and libya reaches an accord aligning their respective economic zones primarily to prevent the israeli, cyprus, greek and italian agreement to construct a pipeline from israel to italy (it’s a pipedream which ever won’t come true). the egyptian/greek accord is just a nuisance deal in response to the much more tangible libya/turkey agreement.
a very plausible explanation on the beirut ammonium nitrate catastrophe is that since lebanon refused to open its seabed for the jews’ use for the pipeline to italy and europe (a request put forward by mr fat moron pompeo) the response is just what you can expect of the murderous jews in palestine – a sabotage operation aimed at regime change in lebanon and the destruction of hezbollah (the fact that there was stored some 2500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in beirut was known to the jews they just had a) not found the reason how to exploit the fact and b) had not calculated the devastation of the explosion). moreover the gas is the property of the palestinians and is not the jews to sell but since they are thieves at heart they won’t lose any sleep on the matter and the same for the destruction of a neighbouring country which they have harassed over the last 95 years. needless to say, the european union must say no to any attempts by the jews to peddle the stolen gas.