'Neo Ottoman conqueror' - Turkish submarine heads to Cyprus, leaves NATO maneuvers group baffled

'Neo Ottoman conqueror' - Turkish submarine heads to Cyprus, leaves NATO maneuvers group baffled. (Famagusta).

A Turkish submarine abruptly left manoeuvres during a NATO exercise and sailed off the eastern coast of Cyprus near Cape Greco, reports local TV station Sigmalive.

The sub sailed near "blocks 3 and 13 of the Cyprus EEZ passed between Cypriot boats and foreign ships”, the channel reported.

The submarine was taking part in "Blue Whale", a NATO naval military exercise, which started Monday in the Mediterranean.

Submarines, frigates and naval air elements are participating in the exercise which includes submarine-warfare manoeuvres.

The channel cited unnamed NATO sources that were apparently ‘irked’ by the sudden unannounced Turkish action.

There has been no comment from the government in Nicosia.Hmmm.....Erdogan's BFF and 'Israel's staunchest Ally' Pres Obama is delivering State of the art Torpedoes to Turkey.

Related: Russian destroyer leaves Cyprus for Mediterranean drills

Oil and gas reserves around Cyprus attract 'Neo Ottoman' conqueror Turkey.

Oil and gas reserves around Cyprus attract 'Neo Ottoman' conqueror Turkey. (Guardian).

It had been hoped that discovering the reserves would galvanise the two sides to conciliate – but this has not happened.

Tensions have risen in the eastern Mediterranean with an escalating war of words between Athens, Ankara and Nicosia over oil and gas reserves in the region.

Wrangling over hydrocarbons to be found in the area’s waters, has intensified after the leaders of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt signed an agreement in Cairo on Saturday to boost energy cooperation.

Within minutes of the accord being announced Cyprus’s president, Nicos Anastasiades, accused Turkey of “provocative actions” for sending a surveillance vessel and war ships to search for natural resources in the island’s exclusive economic zone.

“Turkey’s provocative actions do not just compromise the peace talks,” he said, referring to UN-brokered reunification negotiations suspended by his government last month. “[They] also affect security in the eastern Mediterranean region.”

On Sunday the head of the Turkish navy, Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, revealed he had been handed new rules of engagement in the event of “a situation” involving hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean. “We will move according to the rules of engagement that have been given us,” he said when asked how Turkey’s navy would react if it encountered a Greek or Israeli ship in the region.

On Monday, a senior Greek military official was quoted in the daily paper To Vima as saying: “We have rules of engagement, too, that have been approved by the prime minister and the cabinet, not only just in the Aegean but the south-east Mediterranean for the defence of our national interests.”

Visiting Nicosia last week the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, lambasted Turkey for intruding on Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone – criticism echoed by the Greek prime minister, Antonis Samaras, when he too held talks in the capital on Friday.

Ankara, which sees itself as the region’s burgeoning economic powerhouse, has signalled that it will respond in kind. Before a visit to the Turkish capital by the US vice-president later this month, it has conveyed its displeasure at the signing of the Cairo accord.

“Tension is definitely on the rise,” said Hubert Faussmann, associate professor of history and political science at the University of Nicosia. “The peace talks have become a victim of the hydrocarbons which are inseparably linked to the Cyprus problem. They have escalated rather than de-escalated the situation,” he told the Guardian from Nicosia. Hmmm....It's high time the World realizes that Islamist Turkey, is being run by a dictator that will make look Saddam and Assad as 'nice' guys, once he totally unleashes his ambitions.Read the full story here.

'Neo Ottoman Conqueror' Turkey’s naval forces get a new set of rules of engagement for Cyprus and Israel.

'Neo Ottoman Conqueror' Turkey’s naval forces get a new set of rules of engagement for Cyprus and Israel. (HD).

The Turkish Navy has been authorized by the government for the full implementation of recently amended rules of engagement in the eastern Mediterranean in the face of growing tension between littoral countries, including Turkey, Greek Cyprus, Egypt and Israel over oil and natural gas drilling projects.

“The Prime Ministry handed over the rules of engagement to the Chief of General Staff and the Chief of Staff handed them over to the Naval Forces Command. We will act in line with these rules of engagement in the event we face a situation over this issue,” Adm. Bülent Bostanoğlu, the naval forces commander, told reporters Nov. 9 in Muğla as he participated in the Blue Whale-2014 naval exercise.

“Our naval forces elements will continue their mission of situational awareness in the region.” Bostanoğlu’s statement came after a question on which rules of engagement the Turkish Navy would follow if Turkish vessels confront Greek or Israeli warships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Tension between Turkey and the Greek Cyprus-Greece duo has increased recently after the Greek Cypriot government issued licenses for oil and natural gas exploration in its claimed economic exclusive zones in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey strongly criticized the move, saying it was a clear breach of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots’ rights and sent a seismic exploration vessel to the region for its own drilling purposes and one warship for the surveillance of foreign platform vessels being used for oil exploration.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Nov. 8 accused Turkey of “provocative actions” that he said Ankara was hindering the island’s peace talks and compromising security in the eastern Mediterranean.

“Turkey’s provocative actions do not just compromise the peace talks, but also affect security in the eastern Mediterranean region,” Anastasiades said at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

“For the [Cyprus peace] negotiations to succeed, Turkey needs to show a positive intention and adopt a constructive stance through positive and effective steps in this direction,” he said.

 Hmmmm......I've always said the Cypriot gas will lead to conflict with 'Bully' Turkey, Those Two Frigates Obama wanted to 'Donate' to his BFF Erdogan, they would have come very handy to patrol around Cyprus, good thing the U.S. Congress refused. He did sell top of the line Missiles to the 'Muslim Brotherhood' run Egypt, but now they re opposed to Bully Turkey.

Read the full story here.

Related: Egypt and Turkey making a power play to screw Israel in the Mediterranean?


Update: 

Turkish Naval Forces has full authority to attack in Mediterranean Sea

Leaders of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus: "Division is unacceptable Cyprus, is one country with one identity."

Leaders of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus: "Division is unacceptable Cyprus, is one country with one identity." (AlAhram).

Leaders of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus held a press conference in Cairo on Saturday where they discussed strengthening economic ties, the European Union's support to Egypt, Turkey-Cyprus relations and Palestine.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades spoke on the sidelines of a tripartite summit to strengthen relations between the three countries.

The Greek premier said Greece and Cyprus, both EU members, will push for the EU to support Egypt morally and financially in its efforts.

He praised Egypt's efforts in its fight against terrorism as well as what he described as "Egypt's efforts to protect Christians who are in danger of being excluded from their countries."

Before the press conference, El-Sisi met with Samaras and Anastasiades in two separate meetings where they discussed efforts to combat terrorism as well as strengthening economic ties between Cairo and the two southern European countries.

Egypt and Cyprus have enjoyed a strong relationship for decades, dating back to a friendship between late presidents Gamal Abdel-Nasser and Makarios III.

Last year, Greece was among the first members of the EU to recognise Egypt's post-30 June government after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt's El-Sisi said the three leaders asserted their determination to combat terrorism by intensifying cooperation in all areas, including security, for the purpose of eliminating the "terrorist group" and uncovering its financial backers.

Regarding the Turkey-Cyprus conflict, the Cypriot president said the issue had been discussed and that the three leaders agreed that division is unacceptable, as Cyprus is one country with one identity.

Cyprus' president said that both sides, especially Turkey, must show goodwill and focus their efforts on mediation in order for the ongoing negotiations between Turkey and Cyprus to work.

He described Turkey's recent measures as "provoking," adding that the three leaders have denounced such actions.

Turkey recently began charting gas deposits in parts of the eastern Mediterranean claimed by Cyprus – which Greek's premiere Samaras called "completely unacceptable."

El-Sisi did not comment on the Turkey-Cyprus dispute.

Greek and Turkish Cypriots have held peace talks to solve territorial disputes on the island, which was partitioned by a 1974 Turkish invasion that followed a brief coup engineered by the military junta ruling Greece at the time.

Meanwhile, the Cypriot president said the three leaders agreed that a solution has to be reached for the establishment of an independent, habitable Palestinian state, side by side with Israel.

The Cypriot president is scheduled to visit Israel in early December. Hmmmm....I've always said Cyprus will be where Erdogan will show his 'Neo Ottoman Conqueror' face .

'Invader' Turkey blames Cyprus for failure of talks.

'Invader' Turkey blames Cyprus for failure of talks.(FamagustaGazete).

Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu claimed that the demands of the Greek Cypriot leadership on the issue of territory at the negotiating table “are rather extreme” and cannot be accepted.

Speaking on Turkish Cypriot television, Eroglu said the Greek Cypriot side abandoned the Cyprus talks using the dispute in the EEZ as an “excuse” as the bargaining stage of the negotiations were scheduled to begin.

Asked to comment on the reaction of the Turkish side on the upcoming tripartite meeting between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, Eroglu said this cooperation will make it even harder to reach an agreement in Cyprus. Hmmmm.....Turkey wants the gas and it will come to an open conflict.

Israel supports Cyprus energy search. Cypriot President to visit Jerusalem next month

Israel supports Cyprus energy search. Cypriot President to visit Jerusalem next month. (FamagustaGazeta).

ISRAEL SUPPORTS attempts by Cyprus to carry out natural gas exploration offshore, in spite of objections from Turkey challenging the endeavour.

We respect the integrity of Cyprus. You have your exclusive rights to explore in your economic zone for gas or oil reserves and we think it's unnecessary to add other tensions to the problems of the Middle East," Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told reporters in Nicosia.

"I hope that the EU has enough power to be a real mediator and to take a reasonable position regarding the gas dispute and exploration in economic zone," he said.

Meanwhile, President Anastasiades will visit Israel to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to a post on the government spokesman’s Twitter account.

Nicos Christodoulides tweeted that the visit would take place on December 2nd.

THE HEAD OF the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC) Toula Onoufriou has expressed fury after discovering a senior Turkish Cypriot official was booked to speak at the same event in Israel.

Onoufriou reacted to the "out of programme” participation of Ozdil Nami in a conference taking place in Tel Aviv, where Onoufriou was invited to deliver a speech.

Onoufriou issued a statement expressing "shock” by the participation of "a so called official from a pseudo state, which is the result of the continuous occupation and invasion of Cyprus by Turkey”.

CHC President explained to the participants that this "so called state" is not recognized by any other country in the world including the state of Israel.

During his speech, Nami said that the Turkish Cypriots have rights to the hydrocarbons off the shores of Cyprus.

He said that the turmoil in the Middle East and the escalation of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean show them more than ever that coordinated efforts of all regional actors are needed to bring peace and stability to the region.

The Deputy Chief Advisor of the Israeli Prime Minister Eran Lerman, the US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Saphiro, Israeli Petroleum Commissioner Alexander Varshavsky, the CEO of the ECO Energy Company Amit Mor, the President of the Delek Drilling Company and the CEO of the Avner Oil Company Gideon Tadmor, the CEO of the Nobel Energy-Israel Bini Zomer and the CEO of the Modiin Energy Company Ron Manor attended the event.


Hmmm.....I've said it already many times the Cypriot gas will lead to a full scale conflict between 'Bully' Turkey and Israel.

Related: UN Special Adviser on Cyprus: Turkey-Cyprus standoff over offshore drilling is "really quite dangerous" .

Eide met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Athens yesterday.

"Because it is in everybody’s interest that the negotiations to find a settlement continue. What’s happening right now is actually quite dangerous, and I encourage everyone to do their best to avoid any kind of further escalation”, he said.

Eide will be in Cyprus later today where he will have separate meetings with President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.

On Wednesday, Eroglu has said that the removal of the Turkish research vessels from the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone is "out of the question” and that the research vessels are carrying out activities on behalf of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.

Eroglu added that the Greek Cypriot side "should have acted wisely”. The United States have expressed concern about the latest issues in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as his hope that they would be resolved through diplomatic efforts.