Israel vows to defend gas after Turkey threatens to boost navy patrols

[RedBeard]

Energy Minister Uzi Landau says Israel will secure its rigs after Erdogan says Turkey will make its presence felt in the eastern Mediterranean.

Israel vowed to develop and defend gas platforms recently discovered in its waters, Energy Minister Uzi Landau said on Sunday, after Turkey declared its plan to boost naval patrols in the eastern Mediterranean in a deepening diplomatic feud.

"Israel can support and secure the rigs that we are going to have in the Mediterranean," Landau told a security conference when asked if Israel would safeguard the gas platforms after the warship challenge floated last week by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

That's the simple answer that I can give," Landau said.

Erdogan has said Turkey will make its presence felt in the eastern Mediterranean at a time when Israel is looking to exploit recently discovered gas fields off its coasts and partner with Cyprus to build energy facilities.

Landau, whose formal title is national infrastructure minister, said there had been no claim so far by any state that the Tamar and Leviathan natural gas fields, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, do not belong to Israel.

"It hasn't been claimed even by Lebanon, and the Turks too, as far as I'm aware," he said about the gas deposits which Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz has estimated could bring in at least e150 billion in future revenues.

Turkey, which does not recognise Cyprus's Greek Cypriot government, has bitterly complained about recent Cypriot-Israeli energy deals. Lebanon has accused Israel of breaking international law by exploring for gas without an agreement on the maritime border between the two countries, which are formally at war.

Israel and Turkey are locked in diplomatic crisis over an Israeli raid in May 2010 on an aid flotilla trying to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, territory controlled by the Islamist Hamas group. Nine Turks were killed in the raid.

Israel has spurned Ankara's demand for an apology, saying its commandoes acted in self-defence after pro-Palestinian activists attacked them with metal rods and knives.
A United Nations report in August said the blockade, with the declared aim of preventing arms smuggling, was legal but Israeli troops used excessive force in the boarding operation.

NATO-member Turkey, once a strategic ally of the Jewish state, expelled Israel's ambassador after the report was released.

Israel vows to defend gas after Turkey threatens to boost navy patrols in Mediterranean - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

 

[blackops]

Lets see how things turn up rite now things arent looking very good

 

[Executioner]

Nothing going to happen means no war.

 

[somebozo]

Israel brutality was exposed the day it attacked the flotilla containing nothing but humanitarian supplies. dont let the jews get in power as when they do they start wet dreaming to annihilate all others.

 

[RedBeard]

Turkey to continue Cyprus gas drill


Monday, October 3, 2011


Turkey’s exploration vessel, the Piri Reis, will continue its seismic research efforts off southern Cyprus, a Turkish official said Monday, adding that it has partially completed its work on Block 12 – the zone where Greek Cyprus has begun drilling for oil and natural gas.

“Piri Reis will refuel in Famagusta Port on Monday and will sail again afterward,” a senior diplomat told reporters Monday. He said the vessel would continue its research off the southern coast of the island, despite earlier reports that suggested it would return to İzmir Port late Monday. The East Mediterranean has been placed at the center of regional politics recently after a rift between Turkey and Israel and then after Greek Cyprus’ decision to commence oil drilling, despite Turkey’s strong rejection.

Turkey and Turkish Cyprus have signed a continental shelf agreement to delimitate water boundaries for joint oil and gas explorations. Some of the zones overlap with that of Greek Cyprus.

After completing two-dimensional research, the official said, the vessel will begin three-dimensional surveying, which will be followed by building a platform off Cyprus. “Drilling for oil and natural gas is among our plans. But naturally this process will take time,” the official added.

When asked whether Turkey would sign agreements to delimitate exclusive economic zones with other

littoral countries, such as Lebanon and Egypt, the official said, “Turkey will wait for the completion of reunification talks in the Cyprus Island and for the settlement in the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Meanwhile, Turkey’s energy minister has denied media reports that a Turkish vessel conducting seismic research around the island of Cyprus had completed studies and was soon set to return home, Anatolia news agency reported. “The Piri Reis research vessel is continuing its studies in another portion of the sea. And it will surely return to Turkey after completing its task,” Minister Taner Yıldız told reporters Monday.

Turkey deployed the seismic research ship after penning a deal with Turkish Cyprus to demark the underwater continental shelf borders between the two entities, allowing Turkey to search for oil and gas inside Turkish Cypriot waters. The agreement followed a Greek Cypriot move to start offshore drilling for natural gas and oil to the southeast of the eastern Mediterranean island.

Meanwhile, Cyprus’ president said on Saturday that exploratory drilling for offshore oil and gas deposits will continue despite Turkey’s strong opposition, Associated Press reported. Dimitris Christofias said the divided island’s right to search for potential mineral deposits inside its exclusive economic zone is non-negotiable and that any foreign meddling is unacceptable.



Turkey to continue Cyprus gas drill - Hurriyet Daily News