Turkey extends the operations of its Yavuz energy drill ship in the waters claimed by Cyprus until October
Unilaterally, without negotiation and without prior notice. This is how Turkey acted again this week in the Eastern Mediterranean waters. The Turkish authorities informed this Tuesday that the exploration of the vessel Yavuz in an area that Cyprus claims to be under its sovereignty will continue until October 12. The Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, accused Turkey of carrying out illegal actions on its territory and asked the European Union for protection against Turkish expansionism. Yavuz will be accompanied by three other Turkish ships, according to a maritime notice that added "all vessels are strongly advised not to enter" the area.
Anastasiades warned this Wednesday that Turkey continues its provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean and asked to return to the dialogue, although he pointed out that they will not do it under threats. The Cypriot leader's words come one week before a special summit of European Union leaders on September 24 and 25 to discuss how to resolve the crisis between Cyprus and Turkey. During the annual State of the Union address, Ursula von der Leyen said that nothing justifies Turkey's attempts to harass its neighbours. During next week's summit the European Union has agreed on a common position regarding Turkey. The imposition of new sanctions and even a new arms embargo against Turkey will be discussed.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for “tangible solidarity” from the European Union on this issue. Mitsotakis feels very closely the threat posed by Greece and has therefore announced a reinforcement of the equipment of the Greek armed forces in the midst of the pandemic. Although the Turkish maritime research ship Oruç Reis, which operated in Greek waters, has already returned to Turkey and a calming of the conflict was expected, the de-escalation has not yet taken place. Despite this, the head of the European Union's foreign policy, Josep Borrell, stated that the withdrawal of the Oruç Reis is a step in the right direction that could lead to further steps towards dialogue.
The withdrawal of the Oruç Reis is related to the new European summit to be held on September 24 and 25, at which new sanctions against Turkey could be agreed. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has decided to withdraw his expansionism in the Eastern Mediterranean in view of the European meeting. However, the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa and the Yavuz, Turkish drilling and seismic ships, are still investigating a maritime sector under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus.
During his visit to Athens on Tuesday, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was in favour of conciliation, evoking the convening of a "multilateral conference" to be attended by different countries to try to resolve the problems between Greece and Turkey. Mitsotakis said during the meeting on Tuesday that he was "ready to start immediately exploratory talks" on condition that Turkey withdrew its vessels and stopped incursions. The negotiations, he said, would be limited "to our only major dispute: the demarcation of maritime zones" in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. This is not enough for Ankara. In his opinion, the discussions cannot be reduced to the demands made by Greece, which call for the demilitarisation of the Greek islands, the redefinition of the Turkish continental shelf and a new status for the Turkish minority in Greece.
