EU foreign policy chief says Mediterranean tensions worsening

EU foreign affairs commissioner Josep Borrell voiced concern on Monday over escalated tensions in the eastern Mediterranean due to Turkey’s drilling efforts in the region, Greek newspaper Kathimerini said.

“The situation in the eastern Mediterranean is becoming worse,” Kathimerini cited Borrell as saying.

“Greece and Cyprus have been rightly complaining about the fact that there are drillings very near their coastline,” Borrell said.

Tensions have been simmering between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus over potentially rich hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean, especially after the maritime agreement signed between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based government that ignores territorial waters around the divided island of Cyprus and a number of Greek islands.