Turkey’s Libya operation targeting gas reserves – Deutsche Welle

There is much more on the table for Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is taking on another expensive military deployment in war-torn Libya, such as the pursuit of economic interests and gas reserves, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle said on Saturday.

The agreement that Erdoğan signed with Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in November involves not only military cooperation, but the effective enabling of Turkey to access massive gas reserves discovered off the southern coast of Cyprus about 10 years ago, it said.

The discovery off the divided island of Cyprus has been a topic of contention with both sides claiming sovereignty over the gas reserves.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a Greek Cypriot coup aiming to unite the island with Greece. Since then, the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus has controlled the southern two-thirds of the island, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, only recognised by Turkey, the northern third.

Turkey has also territorial claims that overlap with Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and Ankara has stepped up its efforts for gas drilling this year with two drilling vessels anchored in the east Mediterranean.

The lack of recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a sovereign state by the international community has led other countries in the region to ignore Turkey’s claims to the gas reserves off Cyprus, Deutsche Welle said.

Turkey’s agreement with Libya is designed to deliver Ankara from its isolated role among its Mediterranean neighbours, it said.