Turkey Seeks Fair Game On Cyprus Issue – OpEd

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By Haluk Direskeneli

Dear Colleagues,

For Turkey, there is no southern Cypriot state. Since Turkey does not recognize southern Cyprus there is no exclusive economic zone or EEZ which belongs to southern Cyprus. There is nothing to negotiate since Turkey has no counterparty to negotiate with.

On the other hand, southern Cyprus is a hopeless country with no ability to negotiate. It is historically a sort of spoiled child of the EU and international community. Regardless, Turkey does not care. Southern Cyprus is an unreliable party with a desperate bankrupt economy, a huge burden on the European Union.

Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL) finalized the first offshore drilling and the outcome is not what it had expected. That is why NBL recently transferred some of its shares to an Israeli company, which is a sort of transferring of political risk.

Noble is a medium-sized, purely commercial company which tries to maximize its profit. It carries too much political and technical risk in this venture.

NBL had an EIA report with no political risk foreseen or predicted. Please do note that the commercial environment cannot carry that much political risk.

NBL has already spent over 200million U.S. dollars for the first offshore drilling gamble and the outcome was not as good as expected. Who will be paying the expenses for a new offshore drilling investment? Who will be persuaded?

NBL has already reached the upper limit of its risk-taking capability, and appeared to be exhausted.

All announcements are to be considered “wishful thinking,” since there has beenno proof from aninvestigation yet. They are all predicted in nature.

Please do note that there is no risk of a hot clash or any war for sure. It is only a dispute settlement between two sides, North and South for a fair share of nearby natural resources. Turkish aggression is unavoidable in the natural course of international relations; it is a fair game in dispute resolution.

Israel, Greece and Turkey have no luxury of being enemies. They need each other in the eastern Mediterranean. The existing conflict between Israel and Turkey is an unnecessary and artificial event, and it will be solved with an apology when the existing Israeli government is replaced by the opposition, if the Israeli public wishes so in the next general elections

Mutual respect for the fair share of nearby natural resources is the key t oconflict resolution in the eastern Mediterranean.

Mainland Turkey is pushing Northern Cyprus to have a better economy with new austerity measures, not to spend more than it can generate.

Turkey is a regional power with a population of 75 million, and a vibrant and growing economy. There is no solution without the prior consent of Turkey.

Haluk Direskeneli, Ankara-based Energy Analyst.

JTW

JTW - the Journal of Turkish Weekly - is a respected Turkish news source in English language on international politics. Established in 2004, JTW is published by Ankara-based Turkish think tank International Strategic Research Organization (USAK).

5 thoughts on “Turkey Seeks Fair Game On Cyprus Issue – OpEd

  • December 16, 2011 at 8:39 pm
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    Oh dear, another turkish day dreamer.
    Turkey cares so little that she had to resort to threats of military action, she sent in a trawler to do seismic data collection :), and has broken all ties with Israel.

    Have you seen the value of your lira lately or your current account deficit?? Yeah, thats right, you are in wonderland.

    Regional power, give us a break, you made so many threats, you have back down on everyone of them. typical barbarian behaviour, pick on someone small, but when you get a person your own size you STFU.

    I’m sick of this turkish propoganda rubbish. 75 million 3rd world gypies mate. And not in the EU, they would be stupid to have you.

    Good bye and good riddens.

    Oh, wait, on the 22nd France will vote for the criminalising of the Armenian Genocide that you are guilty for, but hey, withdraw your ammassador, break ties with France, this will guarantee your isolation. Your exports are 65% to the EU, what would happen to this ‘super’ economy if the EU was to stop the customs union? Yeah thats right, you’d be dead in the water.

    On your way buster and take your propogande rubbish with ya! Poor journalism, I guess you will not be imprisoned in turkey, oh yes thats another sore point ain’t it. I think you get the picture.

    Reply
  • December 16, 2011 at 9:15 pm
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    Wishful thinkings come alot out of Turkey these days. I never thought that allegedly objective writers will voluntarily cover their eyes and become the propaganda arms of a religious government. How can somebody say that the 82% of a county’s population does not exist ? Either we agree with them or not ?
    A couple of points: Maybe Turkey forgets that its days of bullying are over as the cold war is over. The west does not need stugges in the way of the Russians. The Turkish economy is on the bring of collapsing as all the temporary welth is coming from the EU. Either the EU does not do well or turkey is trying to dictate its own terms to it, the result is that Turkey will suffer.
    In international politics one cannot pick and choose who has human rights and who is too small for that. These days one can see only arrogance coming out of Turkey and this is going to cost Turkey dearly !!!

    Reply
  • December 16, 2011 at 9:40 pm
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    I am surprised that such a highly reputable website has agreed to have an article of such low journalism published on its site. Anyone with even a vague idea of the situation in Cyprus will dismiss this article as the ravings of an amateur with an adolescent mentality.

    A quick google search will reveal the facts on Cyprus, Turkey and the current gas exploration by Cyprus.

    Reply
  • December 17, 2011 at 1:23 pm
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    The fact is that whether it is Greece, Cyprus or Israel, all somehow depend on the goodwill of Turkey. They will shout, they will cry but at the end they’ll do what Turkey tells them to do…

    Reply
    • December 18, 2011 at 9:40 pm
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      Maybe Cyprus should drill off the coast of Turkey with the escort of Russian and Isreali Navys. As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as “Turkey”, it is only Anatolia occupied by Turks.

      Reply

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