As Turkey’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) deal with Libya nears its second anniversary later this month, the issue of maritime border demarcation in the East Mediterranean remains more crucial than ever, with tensions continuing to simmer due to the Greek exploitation of arbitrary continental shelf parameters.
Signed on Nov. 27, 2019, Turkish publication Yeni Safak was among the first media outlets to report on the deal, describing it as a “historic step” to stop Greek exploitation by conducting oil and gas drilling in areas near Turkey’s shores.
The deal caught by surprise countries conspiring to exclude Turkey from the East Mediterranean, which is thought to have vast reserves of gas under its seabed, forcing them to rethink their plans and prompting them to re-engage with Turkey in pursuit of a more equitable solution in accordance with Turkey’s Blue Homeland border.
As a two-state solution for the Cyprus issue remains elusive, the deal also helped protect Northern Cypriots’ rights to the country’s energy reserves across the island’s shores, as Athens and Nicosia attempted to explore for gas in the region and pocket all the profits.
Two years later, Turkey remains open to engaging with all neighboring countries willing to discuss the issue on the basis of mutual benefit, particularly as more gas discoveries continue to be made in the Eastern Mediterranean, underlining the pressing importance of demarcation talks.