A big fiesta is being prepared for the sailing of the floating drilling rig, which is expected to trigger a new round of tensions.
Turkey’s fourth floating drilling rig sets sail today from Tasuku port in Mersin “Amdul Hamid Khan“, which is expected to trigger a new cycle of tensions in Eastern Mediterranean.
The drilling rig is expected to move between the Turkish coast and the occupied part of Cyprus, which allegedly issued illegal licenses to the Turkish oil company.
“To date we have not allowed any planning or action in our jurisdictions without our participation and we will not allow it in the future either” said yesterday Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan giving the mark of Ankara’s intentions.
For the exit of the drilling rig, a fiesta will be set up around 13.30 in the afternoon.
Greece is not complacent, and is taking its own measures, conducting exercises in the last 10 days with the USA, Israel, Egypt, France, in a critical area south of Kastellorizos, and the Cypriot forces.
At the same time, Athens maintains open lines with all allies so that there is coordination so that answers can be given depending on the size of the challenge that the Turkish side will attempt. A few hours before the departure of the Turkish driller, Abdulhamid Khan, the Greek side turns its gaze to three possible deployment points of the Turkish driller, in the occupied Karpasia, in plot 6 or, even further west on the Greek continental shelf, thus escalating the tension with the Hellas.
“Any tension it causes will not just be bilateral, it will be seen as playing Putin’s game by fracturing the unity of the Western alliance. But I think that the best thing is to limit it to a sea around the northern side of Cyprus, we will see it of course, I repeat that we are on full alert” the ND MP and international expert emphasized to SKAI Dimitris Kairides.
“A drilling rig is of a different class, size, challenge compared to Oruch Reis and a seismograph that uses a sonar to conduct research on the bottom of the sea. This is also very heavy, but the drilling rig, and this is how it is recognized by international law as well as the resolutions of the UN Security Council, is a fait accompli that is being created, a hole I want to say in the Greek continental shelf” the ND MP underlined.
Provocative rhetoric was also bid by Mevlut Cavusoglu, launching non-existent accusations against Athens and Nicosia while also referring to the Turkish drilling rig.
“An important factor in our policy in the Eastern Mediterranean is our sovereign rights. The duo of Greece and Greek Cypriots attempted to send 9 ships to our continental shelf. We prevented these with the measures we took both on the front and at the table. and tomorrow the Abdulhamid ship will sail for its first tasks in the Mediterranean” the Turkish Foreign Minister said defiantly.
On the eve of Abdulhamid Khan’s departure, Ankara also reinstates its revisionist rhetoric, with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu once again questioning the sovereignty of the Greek islands.
“We have told and explained to our interlocutors, especially the UN, that the islands that are close to our shores, and have a demilitarized status according to international treaties, are now militarized. We will continue to deal with this issue, which is of critical importance for security of our country” said Cavusoglu.
“It is a very difficult balance exercise, but the country is much better prepared than 2020, and the international community also knows much better what is happening now with Turkish behavior,” he told SKAI Professor of International Relations Panteio Kostas Yfantis.
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