Close the allies of Turkey and Qatar quietly attack Cyprus Energy dispute

Abdullah Bozkurt / Stockholm

Turkey and Qatar, close regional allies with shared support in Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, found themselves in disagreement on participation in Qatarenergys in a hydrocarbon exploration agreement off the coast of Cyprus, an initiative of Turkey has condemned as illegal.

The dispute, simmering for several years, recently intensified in camera between the two countries after Cyprus published a navigation tex (Navtex) authorizing drilling operations in what is called Bloc 5 of the eastern Mediterranean. The Navtex authorizes activities from December 24, 2024 to February 24, 2025, allowing Exxonmobil and Qatarenergy to conclude the agreement they signed with Cyprus in December 2021.

Bloc 5 is located in the exclusive economic area of ​​Cyprus (EEZ) and was a focal point of dispute between Turkey and Cyprus, because it rides the areas of Turkey is part of its continental plateau. In the development of gas fields in this block, Qatarenergy has a 40% participation in the production sharing agreement with Cyprus, while Exxonmobil holds the remaining 60%.

On January 16, Cyprus published a second Navtex, announcing that the drilling ship Valaris DS-9 would carry out operations in Bloc 5 until June 19, 2025.

The Government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not yet issued an official or public reaction. The only remark came from anonymous sources at the general staff of the staff, which would have declared to the local media on January 23 that Turkey would closely monitor the drilling in Bloc 5 and take the necessary measures to protect its interests.

“The navigation warning issued by the Greek administration Cypriot is outside our area of ​​maritime jurisdiction, at around 11.5 miles (22 kilometers) to the south. In this context, we closely monitor the activities of the ship in question, which started on January 19, 2025, “said the sources.

Navtex messages issued by Cyprus concerning drilling in its exclusive economic zone:

The general staff also undertook to protect the rights and interests of Turkey as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a escaped state recognized only by Turkey. Ankara has a strong influence in the governance of the TRNC, maintains a large military presence there and provides a financial rescue buoy for its economy.

The TRNC will continue to be resolutely defended, and any violation of our continental plateau will be immediately discussed on the ground. Our state has a more in -depth understanding of the problem than anyone, evaluates it from all angles and determines the stages necessary to take. These steps will be implemented at the appropriate time, said sources awarded to the staff.

Anonymous remarks aimed to calm concerns among the Turkish public, attacking the grievances raised by the opposition and buying time for the Erdogan government while working to quietly resolve the crisis with Qatari officials.

Until now, the only formal response to the first Navtex has come from Türkiye to the United Nations through the Envoy du TRNCS. On December 28, 2024, the Ambassador of the UN turkeys, Ahmet YLDZ, submitted a letter which included a press release from the TRNCS representative, Mehmet DN, who expressed his concerns concerning the navtex issued by the internationally recognized government of Cypruss.

The TRNC condemned the publication of a navigation tex (NAVTEX) by the Greek Cypriot Administration, allowing drilling operations in the “ Bloc 5 '' of the eastern Mediterranean, from December 24, 2024 to February 24, 2025. This Action, undertaken in collaboration with Exxonmobil and Qatar Energy, was described as a violation of the rights inherent in the Turkish Cypriot people on the natural resources of the island, said DN.

DN argued that the Greek Cypriot Administration does not represent the whole island, claiming that its unilateral actions such as the signing of maritime border agreements, license energy companies and exploration activities are neither legitimate nor linked to Turkish Turkish Cypriots Turkish

These actions do not take into account the need for consent and a joint decision-making between the two communities of the island, he added, undertaking to take reciprocal measures to protect the rights of TRNC on hydrocarbon resources in Cyprus and the surrounding area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkeys, which was very critical of the agreement in 2021 and categorical about the fact of allowing a country, a business or a strange business

When they are criticized by the opposition in the past, Turkish officials claimed to have obtained insurance from Exxonmobil and Qatarenergy that they did not operate in zones overlapping the continental platform of the turkeys. However, no written confirmation of such a commitment from the companies or the countries involved was presented, which prompted the opposition to reject it as an empty promise.

Qatarenergy also cooperates with Exxonmobil to develop natural gas in block 10, an area south of Cyprus which does not overlap the continental platform of turkeys unlike blocks 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7, which Turkey claims within the framework of his maritime jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, Turkey continues to oppose the activities of Bloc 10, arguing that drilling violates the rights of the TRNC. Turkey remains resolved in its commitment to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots, arguing that the island's natural resources should be shared fairly between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Turkey has proposed joint exploration initiatives or an income sharing mechanism for hydrocarbons, as provisional measures until complete resolution of the Cyprus issue is reached. However, these proposals have gained little field in international forums.

A letter subject to the UN by a representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus:

Turkish_cypriot_letter_un_december_2024

To strengthen its negotiation power, Turkey has fallen its muscles by deploying its own drilling ships to explore the disputed waters, often under the escort of Turkish naval forces. However, Ankara was forced to retreat such actions in 2020 following the pressure from the United States and the European Union

Meanwhile, Cyprus has strengthened its alliances that are both regionally and international, often at the expense of Turkey. Its partnerships with countries such as Greece, Egypt and Israel, as well as energy -oriented initiatives such as the Gaz de Gaz of the eastern Mediterranean (EMGF) which excludes Turkey has put Ankara in a defensive position.

While Turkey continued to threaten Cyprus with military action, Nicosia has strengthened its strategic ties with the United States, which has lifted its embargo on arms and began to extend its naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean.

It is clear that the involvement of Qatar in the hydrocarbon resources of Cyprus remains a point of friction for the Erdogan government. However, Ankara seems determined to avoid any break in her ties on this issue.

In recent years, the Erdoan government has considerably widened its military presence in Qatar, establishing a base in 2014 and widening it more in 2019. Turkey also came with the small Arab state in 2017, when Qatar Faced with a blockade by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. Meanwhile, Turkey provided diplomatic, military and logistics support in Qatar.

There was also a divergence between Turkish President Erdogans, personal interests in Qatar and the future management envisaged by the establishment of national turkey security. Erdogan would have invested parties of his substantial richness accumulated by bribes and bribes in Qatar, taking advantage of his friendship with the Al-Thani family in power to channel and whiten illicit gains through the Qatari financial system.

An important part of the Qatari investment in Türkiye would come from these illicit funds, which are controlled by intermediaries by the Erdogan family.

There is no doubt that the two countries are ideologically aligned in the promotion of an Islamist program abroad, actively supporting the network of Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and other armed jihadist groups through the Middle East, 'Africa and beyond.

For the sake of protecting his political, ideological and financial interests in Qatar, President Erdogan seems willing to ignore the participation of Qatarenergys in the development of hydrocarbons off the coast of Cyprus. Given its control over the Turkish media, all the branches of the government and a co -opted political opposition, it has the capacity to present Qatarenergys' involvement to the public in a way that protects its political future.