Posted on 05/13/2013 9:01:58 AM PDT by haffast
Turkey is closer to coming to an agreement over joint energy projects with Israel, according to a report on Friday in the Turkish daily Today’s Zaman.
The recent natural gas discoveries off Israel’s coast led to a discussion over how to best transfer the gas to Europe.
The paper quotes top Turkish officials as stating they are moving to be in favor of “extensive cooperation” with Israel and Cyprus. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz were said to have discussed the issue on Friday at an energy conference in Istanbul. Gul said at the conference that Turkey is “ready to contribute to any constructive project,” according to the report.
While Greek Cyprus disputes the gas finds with Turkish Cyprus and Ankara, building a pipeline through Turkey remains the most economical option. The report also stated that the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel will allow Ankara to cooperate with Jerusalem on a gas project, and that Yildiz has already begun planning for possible options.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the Turkish Star last week that Ankara will not accept Israel’s interference in any Muslim country, thus ruling out cooperation with Jerusalem over the crisis in Syria. He also said that the negotiations over the Mavi Marmara flotilla and the conflict in Syria were two separate issues.
Efrat Aviv, a researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, told The Jerusalem Post that Turkish media reports have indicated that the country also seeks to be involved in projects with Egypt and Lebanon as part of a regional peace policy.
snip
(Excerpt) Read more at cyprusgasnews.com ...
In the shadow of Syria.......
The newly discovered energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean could contribute a great deal on the road to resolving the political problems in the region, Turkish President Abdullah Gül said May 10 at a conference in Istanbul.
“I believe any projects regarding energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean should involve all the countries in the region, including Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, all parts of the island of Cyprus and Turkey… to resolve political problems,” he said at the opening ceremony of the 4th Annual Energy Forum organized by Sabancı University’s Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC).
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/150236/energy-resources-to-maintain-peace-in-eastern-mediterranean-turkish-president.html
Natural gas - good for the environment, good for peace.
Agreements between Israel and Turkey that bring those two nations closer, are a good thing.
Can you say "Redistribution" or Spread The Wealth" or maybe just "Social Justice," I am all for wishful thinking.
None of these countries have the public or private industrial know how in the petro and natural gas industries.
All of these countries, and especially Turkey, are well aware of the insanity revolving around the Caspian pipeline routes. All are aware of the Kosovo civil war to control the next leg of the Bosphorus pipeline routes heading west.
None of these countries will give up control to US, Swiss, Brit, Dutch, Norwegian, Chinese or Russian conglomerates/banker mafias.
Will the countries with the extraction fields get blackmailed b the pipeline countries like Ukraine tried with Russia? Or will Egypt, Israel and Lebanon take control of the pipelines like Russia did to Belorus?
That is for the next generation of leadership to fight over.
First get the dang thing built.
The paper quotes top Turkish officials as stating they are moving to be in favor of "extensive cooperation" with Israel and Cyprus. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz were said to have discussed the issue on Friday at an energy conference in Istanbul. Gul said at the conference that Turkey is "ready to contribute to any constructive project," according to the report. While Greek Cyprus disputes the gas finds with Turkish Cyprus and Ankara, building a pipeline through Turkey remains the most economical option. The report also stated that the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel will allow Ankara to cooperate with Jerusalem on a gas project, and that Yildiz has already begun planning for possible options.There's literally zero chance of this 'rapprochement', even with Turkey's loss of Egypt's Morsi -- Erdogan doesn't have the political will or backing to make direct deals with (Greek) Cyprus, and repudiation of Israel is also part and parcel of his Islamofascist policy. Plus, the piece reads like gov't-composed PR.
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