Cyprus-Forum.com

[Maximus]

No country acting under the “Law of the Sea Convention“ escort their drill and seismic survey ships by military vessels, which is what Turkey does, because Turkey has not signed that treaty, because she knows that the law is not on her side, therefore she literally uses gunboat diplomacy to try to “negotiate” with others rights to their EEZ to give her what she is not entitled to. If Turkey wasn’t a trouble maker with her neighbours, I believe they would have cut her into the bounty under the Med’s sea floor, but not the way she is behaving which she has alienated everyone in the region. If she is not careful, not only these neighbouring countries are going to drill together, but they will form a defense pact much like NATO to attack Turkish ships when entering EEZ of her neighbours.

Precisely Kiks,

Turkey has gone about it completely the wrong way and has managed to unite every other country (but Libya) in the eastern med.

Credit to Turkey for doing that though, but unfortunately, she is the cause for the region being volatile. The others create peace and stability by doing, Turkish politicians just talk out of their backsides about it and act like pirates.

If she was smart, and capable, with a soaring economy (ahem!) she could have rectified many of her historical mistakes and legally licensed so many blocks from her neighbors.

But to do that, you have to follow internationally accepted rules and be on good terms with them.

Her chances at the moment are slim to none because no one trust her.

[Maximus]

Turkey’s current situation in the eastern Mediterranean crisis resembles the predicament the Ottoman Empire faced during the First Balkan War of 1912, former Turkish Foreign Minister Yaşar Yakış said.

“There is a cluster of accumulated problems for Turkey. This is an unfortunate development for Turkey at an already hard-pressed time like this,”

“The real source of tension is actually the agreement signed between Libya and Turkey,”

The move - aimed to give Turkey more leverage - has been met with international condemnation. Turkey has effectively isolated itself in the region, Yakış said.

"No matter what way you look at it, I am recalling the Balkan war of 110 years ago, when Turkey was at war with everyone,”

The war ended in disaster for the Ottoman Empire, which lost over 80 percent of its European territories and almost 70 percent of its European population.

https://ahvalnews.com/eastern-mediterra ... er-turkish

History repeats itself, and those that dont learn from it are condemned to relive their historical mistakes.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face - Mike Tyson,

If this gets ugly, I predict Turkey will lose about 70 percent of her territory and a lot of the population that opposes Erdogan. Possibly even losing the coastline in the med all together. Greece, Armenia and Kurdistan will reclaim some of their historically lost lands.

[Maximus]

French Rafale fighter jets have been "buzzing" Turkeys seismic research vessel all day today, which is being accompanied by some Turkish war ships.

The French Rafales, along with attack helicopters and some frigates have been running drills with Greek forces between Crete and Cyprus.

Apparently, according to other sources, the Oruc Reis has been moving in and out of Greek territorial waters. Sounds like the captain is cacking his pants because he realizes that Endorgan is using him like a pawn.

Erdogan warned that if anyone attacks the Oruc Reis (named after an Ottoman pirate), they will pay a high price.

(Like when you have Turkish Lira)

Macron said earlier today, he will be sending additional military forces to the area and called for Turkey to stop her illegal activities in the eastern med.

https://www.rt.com/news/497951-erdogan- ... ip-france/

[Maximus]

Hot off the press;

Following contacts and discussions today by Greece's foreign minister and US ambassador to Greece.

USS Hershal Woody Williams will be calling in to Greece in the coming days,

It is currently in Naples, Italy, for a routine logistics stop.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/255837/art ... uss-turkey

[Maximus]

Egypt's defence minister is reporting that they will likely be participating in more Greek and French naval exercises tomorrow.

Whether the Turks like it or not, this is the reality according to international law.

[repulsewarrior]

https://besacenter.org/perspectives-pap ... n-reality/

...also supports your analysis; a good review of the protagonists.

Indeed, the East Med. Gas Forum, is the body that joins all these neighbours but Turkey (at her own exclusion i may add). It is, if it acts as a single force, superior, and a balance to Turkish Supremacy's threatening possibility.

...a “Partnership for Progress and Peace in the Eastern Mediterranean”; it is curious the author does not mention it already.

[repulsewarrior]

...don't ask me why it is relevant; perhaps you are unaware of Erdogan's claim, but he uses it often enough.

GR:
"I'm glad you're aware it's not relevant to the dispute... so why did you bring it up then; smoking some grade "A" grass again?"

[repulsewarrior]

France is welcome, standing for Universal Principals, solidarity with Greece, and Cyprus, against hostile and disruptive actions, as EU partners, where others may vacillate; where to fight means no one leaves unhurt.

…such is the situation; the Treaty of Lausanne, and Sevre, as Erdogan has declared are over.

Who ignores this claim does so, at their own peril because, “Turkishness” as it defines itself seeks, among other things, not superiority, but supremacy, over and under all these seas (including the Aegean), and the Black Sea, for his “Blue Homeland” to be realised.

…France is aware, at the vanguard. And let’s not forget the East Med. Gas Forum; Egypt, Israel, Jordan, even the Palestinians, are joined in supporting Greece’s efforts in defending her own Sovereign Territory, defending what is the Rule of Law, UNCLOS, (which Turkey ignores) on which their own success is founded.

What with the International traffic that travels on these seas, in and out of the Suez Canal for example, it is no wonder that many Nations have a Naval presence; (not just on these seas but below the waves, i take note because so too does Turkey’s military-industrial complex.) It is not just about sharing resources like oil and gas, or coastlines, “equity”, as Erdogan describes it, but, as i see it, the absolute power over this (which amounts to 1/3 of the world’s transactions as) Maritime Trade as well; something to think about .

Greece demonstrates great patience in the daily violations, of Force, demonstrated by Turkey’s Air-force. Turkey’s Navy and Army poses similar risks where discipline must overcome the threats of invasion (as in illegal migration), and escalations militarily speaking that they execute at their Borders, and abroad.

Turkey will find that Greece will pay a heavy price, as a rival who is against the use of force, but when it comes to it they are equally matched; and Turkey it should be clear, stands alone.

https://www.fr24news.com/a/2020/08/fran ... yprus.html

[Londonrake]

Dithering Britain is in denial about EU-Turkey geopolitical time bomb
The lassitude gripping British foreign policy this summer is a symptom of deeper confusion in Whitehall

President Macron’s lightning visit to Lebanon after the Beirut explosion highlighted France’s increasingly active interventions around the Mediterranean. Yet few policymakers here seem to have taken on board the risk of a geopolitical explosion at sea between France and Turkey.

The two estranged NATO allies are jousting for influence and energy resources from Libya to Cyprus. France is sending out warships and fighters as the war of words between President Macron and his Turkish bête noire, Recep Erdogan, intensifies.

France is backing Greece and Cyprus with a show of force as Turkish warships escort a Turkish drilling ship into waters claimed by the two EU states. That Turkish exploration vessel is named in honour of the great Ottoman pirate and slaver, Oruc Reis, whose rampages ranged as far as the French coast from his Algerian base. The symbolism of its name is obvious. High summer ought to be holiday season around the Mediterranean but the buzzing of fighter jets increasingly disturbing.

Our Foreign Office provides travel advisories for danger zones, but its advice about Greek islands in the frontline in sight of the Turkish coast is about the marginal risk of Covid-19 not war. If Whitehall had given travel advice in August 1914, it probably wouldn’t have noticed the unusually busy trains on German railways heading towards Belgium. Post-Brexit Britain has its own problems with France over cross-Channel illegal migration, but President Macron is showing how an independent foreign policy might look.

Don’t let President Macron’s rhetoric about defending the European Union’s borders and sovereignty mislead you. The reality is that Greece and Cyprus are looking to France as a great power ally. The rest of the EU maybe good for a statement of support and even a threat of sanctions but when it comes to possible use of force only France counts. Paris has military power. Brussels has words. Britain still has two sovereign bases on Cyprus which is in the eye of the storm. Turkish troops still occupy the northern half of the island. Ankara remembers the crisis of 1974 when Turkey intervened in Cyprus. Britain remained passive despite being a guarantor of Cyprus and its constitution.

That was at the low point of our post-war decline. Yet today, Harold Wilson rather than Margaret Thatcher, let alone Winston Churchill, seems to be the guiding spirit of British policy towards the gathering storm in the Eastern Mediterranean. British expats and tourists in Cyprus might continue to enjoy a quiet life if the tensions lift, but there is little sign that London is alert to the risks to them and our military there.

Nonchalance in a crisis can be an impressive pose, but the lassitude gripping British foreign policy this mid-summer is a symptom of a deeper confusion in Whitehall about what this country’s role should be around the world post-Brexit. It is not a conscious retreat to a “Little England” outlook. That would be a policy. Instead passivity seems a substitute for knowing what Britain wants and how it can achieve that. President Macron may be stretching France’s resources thin but he is purposeful.

[Paphitis]

The world is full of idiots and we have some running countries. Just looking at Donald Trump you can clearly see what a sorry state the world is in. Let's hope this doesn't escalate and common sense prevails.

Donald Trump has enough common sense to abide by UNCLOS. The US has never questioned it's validity and has even gone as far to conduct freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in order to support the claims of several countries in the area.

The idiots which seem to violate UNCLOS are China and Turkey. So it seems all you have is a whole heap of hypocrisy when trying to sledge a POTUS who has never violated UNCLOs whilst in office and probably has no intention of doing so against any country of the world.