This year a pocket of natural gas has been discovered to exist just off the shore of the divided Mediterranean country of Cyprus. This pocket is though to be so huge, that whoever lays claim to it, will be in control of the natural gas market in Europe for many years. So the economic and political stakes are very high, so it is not surprising that nations have begun to act aggressively towards each other in order to secure some of the benefit of this find.
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 neighbouring countries quickly began reacting in reactionary and aggressive ways. Turkey was the first to respond by sending in a seismic research vessel to the place where the gas is though to be, with a retinue of gunships. Then Israel got involved by flying in F-15 fighter planes to fly low threateningly above the ship.
Turkey's response was to send in F-16s to chase away the plane, increasing the tension even further. Tensions were already piqued between Turkey and Israel from last year when Israel attacked a flotilla of humanitarian aid sent by Turkey into the Gaza strip. Even the Greek prime minister has gotten involved, giving several disapproving speeches about the drilling.
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 neighbouring countries quickly began reacting in reactionary and aggressive ways. Turkey was the first to respond by sending in a seismic research vessel to the place where the gas is though to be, with a retinue of gunships. Then Israel got involved by flying in F-15 fighter planes to fly low threateningly above the ship.
Turkey's response was to send in F-16s to chase away the plane, increasing the tension even further. Tensions were already piqued between Turkey and Israel from last year when Israel attacked a flotilla of humanitarian aid sent by Turkey into the Gaza strip. Even the Greek prime minister has gotten involved, giving several disapproving speeches about the drilling.
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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