A Mediterranean Battlefield - Syria

[Ed Jewett]

Turkish Naval Buildup in the Eastern Mediterranean

1009

2011

Turkish Naval Buildup in the Eastern Mediterranean

by Akin Unver
Foreign Policy Blogs
According to Turkish daily Sabah, Turkey's new strategic focus is shifting from the Aegean towards East Mediterranean. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had indicated earlier that Turkey would take steps towards ensuring freedom of navigation in Eastern Mediterranean, as a reaction to the Palmer report. In the following days it is expected that the Turkish Navy will start to assert its presence in larger numbers around Cyprus. Accordingly, more frigates, gunboats, submarines, naval helicopters and sentry jets will be allocated to what is called Operation Barbarossa: Aegean Shield'. Additionally, Turkish Navy will now be in constant cruise in the Adriatic, Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

According to the plan, Turkey will reinforce its earlier 2006 Aegean Shield operations initiated to protect the territorial waters around Ceyhan area, as the port city has become a major natural gas transportation hub. Based on the strategic concerns over the protection of the Ceyhan area and following Israel's refusal to apologize over the death of 9 Turkish civilians in the Mavi Marmara debacle, Turkey has deployed 2 additional frigates, gunboats and sentry ships each. Also, in addition to Konya 3rd Main Air Force Command, Izmir 2nd Main Air Force command is now designated as the second air cover base responsible from the protection of the area.

Finally, the plan introduces constant cruise duty to the Turkish Naval Mission Group (Frigates Barbaros, Gelibolu, Gemlik and Kudret Gungor 1st logistical support ship 3 naval helicopters underwater assault and defense elite commando units) which had visited Oman, UAE, Pakistan, India, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Jordan port cities in the last 3 months.




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Noble Energy to ignore Turkish threats on Cyprus

1009

2011


Noble Homer Ferrington rig

Noble Energy to ignore Turkish threats on Cyprus

Cypriot Energy Service head Solon Kassinis expects exploratory drilling of Block 12 to start before October 1.

Adi Ben-Israel
Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL) says that it will push ahead with its Cypriot offshore exploratory well at Block 12, in spite of warnings from Turkey not to do so. Block 12 adjoins Israel's Leviathan field.The "Cyprus Mail" says Cyprus is stuck between a rock and a hard place in the Turkish-Israeli dispute. If President Demetris Christofias chooses to push ahead with drilling, he is essentially calling Turkey's bluff. Failure to do so effectively acknowledges Turkey's dominion over the island."Cyprus Mail" says that the heightened tension between Israel and Turkey comes on the back of repeated warnings by Turkish officials against Cyprus drilling in its exclusive economic zone. While some commentators believe the feud with Israel may be used as a pretext to build up naval patrols in seas between Israel and Cyprus, at a time when both latter countries are discussing collaboration on the extraction and distribution of hydrocarbon deposits in their respective marine zones, the paper says that current diplomatic thinking in the region is that Turkey has more important issues to contend with than create serious problems for the island.
Energy Service head Solon Kassinis told the "Cyprus Mail" that he expects drilling to start before October 1. Noble Energy will use the Homer Ferrington rig currently drilling in the Noa field offshore from Ashkelon in Israel's exclusive economic zone.
Kassinis said, "I expected Turkey to bark but I don't think they will do anything because what we've done is based on international law, and if they want to be considered a country that respects international law, when it has a network of (oil and gas) pipe lines, charging transit fees, how can it?"
Kassinis added that any fears from Noble Energy have been assuaged by the US Embassy in Nicosia which has told the company to go ahead and expedite the exploration process.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 8, 2011
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011