Under Pressure From EU Sanctions, Turkey Suspended Oil and Gas Exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey will suspend energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and seek to resolve the dispute with Greece through dialogue, Turkish presidential spokesman Karin said Wednesday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants more constructive action and has decided to halt energy exploration in the Mediterranean, Karin said. Carlin also cautioned against using Turkey's membership as a pressure chip. Turkey, a NATO member, has been seeking to join the European Union, but the process has stalled amid opposition from several EU members.

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been embroiled in a dispute with the Eu countries of Greece and Cyprus over energy development in the Mediterranean. Turkey last year signed a memorandum of understanding with Libya's national unity government on "maritime jurisdiction", seeking a larger exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean, which was strongly opposed by Greece and Cyprus. The Turkish navy issued a survey guideline On Monday covering a section of the sea between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete, Reuters reported. Greece accuses Turkey of trying to encroach on its continental shelf.

According to the Associated Press, Turkey includes most of Cyprus's exclusive economic zone on its continental shelf. It also claims parts of the Aegean Sea and the waters off Crete that are under Greek jurisdiction. Mr. Erdogan announced in January that Turkey would begin drilling for gas in the eastern Mediterranean by 2020, and that drilling in other countries was "illegal." The EU has repeatedly lashed out at Turkey over the issue, with France and other countries siding with Greece and Cyprus in calling for eu sanctions. Turkey's foreign ministry responded that the French statement was "null and void" and that the threat of sanctions "will eventually fail".

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