The Mediterranean country of Cyprus has recently discovered a pocket of natural gas existing just off of its coast. This store of gas has the potential to be so large that whoever ends up with drilling rights to it will have the rest of Europe at their mercy in terms of buying energy. So the stakes, both political and economical, have never been higher; and so it is not that surprising that countries have begun to fall out with each other over who has the right to drill it.
The fact that Cyprus is divided into a Greek and a Turkish area, means that there is already a sordid history between the island and the country of Turkey. Turkey is in fact the only power to recognise the independence of Northern Cyprus. However, the island is relying heavily on its apparent rights as an independent sovereign nation to lay claim to the pocket of gas, and assert its right to drill for it. This crises began when Cyprus, with the help of the American energy company Noble Energy, began to drill for this gas.
The responses by the surrounding countries were reactionary and in some cases aggressive. Turkey sent a seismic research vessel to the same spot, surrounded by an entourage of gunships. It was then Israel's turn to get it, sending in F-15 fighters to intimidate the Turkish ship by buzzing it.
Following that Turkey responded by sending in an F-16 to chase away the planes, which increased the tension between Israel and Turkey further. The initial tension between these two countries was due to the fact that last year a Turkish ship sent to the Gaza strip to deliver aid was attacked by Israeli ships. The Greek prime minister has even poked his nose in, giving disapproving sentiments to what is happening.
There are rivalries and issues that already divide countries like Cyprus and other against each other, but all of these are actually coming to the surface now that there is the prospect of a historically large find of natural resources. But in order to justify drilling anywhere in terms of international law, issues to do with the relative sovereignty of nations should be sorted out first.
The fact that Cyprus is divided into a Greek and a Turkish area, means that there is already a sordid history between the island and the country of Turkey. Turkey is in fact the only power to recognise the independence of Northern Cyprus. However, the island is relying heavily on its apparent rights as an independent sovereign nation to lay claim to the pocket of gas, and assert its right to drill for it. This crises began when Cyprus, with the help of the American energy company Noble Energy, began to drill for this gas.
The responses by the surrounding countries were reactionary and in some cases aggressive. Turkey sent a seismic research vessel to the same spot, surrounded by an entourage of gunships. It was then Israel's turn to get it, sending in F-15 fighters to intimidate the Turkish ship by buzzing it.
Following that Turkey responded by sending in an F-16 to chase away the planes, which increased the tension between Israel and Turkey further. The initial tension between these two countries was due to the fact that last year a Turkish ship sent to the Gaza strip to deliver aid was attacked by Israeli ships. The Greek prime minister has even poked his nose in, giving disapproving sentiments to what is happening.
There are rivalries and issues that already divide countries like Cyprus and other against each other, but all of these are actually coming to the surface now that there is the prospect of a historically large find of natural resources. But in order to justify drilling anywhere in terms of international law, issues to do with the relative sovereignty of nations should be sorted out first.
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