Militarization of Mediterranean rises with exploration disputes
Diplomatic attempts to resolve disagreements over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean haven't worked so far, and the situation is becoming more and more militarized.
Tensions are rising quickly in the eastern Mediterranean over sharing hydrocarbon reserves in the area.
The latest developments signal increasing volatility. On Nov. 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called certain foreign oil companies "bandits of the sea" and warned them against conducting exploration activities near Cyprus. Turkey controls the northern third of the divided island.
Meanwhile, Cyprus and the United States on Nov. 6 signed an agreement to reinforce bilateral security relations.
In an article I penned near the end of 2017, I forecasted that the tensions between Turkey and the anti-Turkish bloc of Greece, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus were likely to escalate and the issue would become militarized. In another article, I drew attention to growing military moves in the region.
