Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

A new problem: All about energy

The Turkish Cypriots, in the meantime, are sitting pretty tight, realizing slowly the new geopolitics being played in their backyard. What is not fully realized yet is that the Old Cyprus Problem is dead, having died with the Annan Plan.

A New Cyprus Problem is on the agenda. It is all about energy, and the control of energy corridor. The new energy problem, centered on Cyprus, has two dimensions. One if the potential of oil reserves in the territorial waters around the island. The other is the control of sea lanes in waters to the north of northern Cyprus and south of Anatolian coastline, the Turkish Energy Corridor (TEC).

The oil potential in territorial waters of the island is in disputed waters. The Greek Cypriot authorities have already signed agreements over exploration rights with Egypt and Lebanon, but Turkey, the dominant power in the area, has claimed some of these as its own territorial water. It is unlikely anything will come out of this potential, even if significant oil reserves were to be discovered.

More important is the TEC. Increasingly, other high-ranking European and international diplomats will follow in the footsteps of Gerhard Schroeder courting northern Cyprus government. Why? By geography, the TEC is similar to the Straits of Hormuz. Nobody would like to see it in unfriendly hands, least of all the Europeans and the Americans. Turks, unlike Iranians, are pro-West, even though to date they have been unfairly treated.

Not too much longer, though.

The political implications of TEC are immense. With a divided island, now looking permanently partitioned on account of the impending re-election for a second term of the inflexible Greek Cypriot President Papadopoulos, neither the EU nor the United States nor the world at large, can afford to sit and watch the unresolved Cyprus problem descend into yet another zone of hot conflict in a chaos-ridden world, hungry for oil.

Gradually but surely, therefore, the coming years will witness a Two-State solution in Cyprus, first by the lifting of political and economic embargoes on northern Cyprus in the international arena, followed by statehood, similar to what is happening in Kosovo.

* Özay Mehmet, Ph.D, is professor emeritus with the Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada and professor of economics with the Eastern Mediterranean University, northern Cyprus. He can be reached at [email protected]

[DT.]

A new problem: All about energy

The Turkish Cypriots, in the meantime, are sitting pretty tight, realizing slowly the new geopolitics being played in their backyard. What is not fully realized yet is that the Old Cyprus Problem is dead, having died with the Annan Plan.

A New Cyprus Problem is on the agenda. It is all about energy, and the control of energy corridor. The new energy problem, centered on Cyprus, has two dimensions. One if the potential of oil reserves in the territorial waters around the island. The other is the control of sea lanes in waters to the north of northern Cyprus and south of Anatolian coastline, the Turkish Energy Corridor (TEC).

The oil potential in territorial waters of the island is in disputed waters. The Greek Cypriot authorities have already signed agreements over exploration rights with Egypt and Lebanon, but Turkey, the dominant power in the area, has claimed some of these as its own territorial water. It is unlikely anything will come out of this potential, even if significant oil reserves were to be discovered.

More important is the TEC. Increasingly, other high-ranking European and international diplomats will follow in the footsteps of Gerhard Schroeder courting northern Cyprus government. Why? By geography, the TEC is similar to the Straits of Hormuz. Nobody would like to see it in unfriendly hands, least of all the Europeans and the Americans. Turks, unlike Iranians, are pro-West, even though to date they have been unfairly treated.

Not too much longer, though.

The political implications of TEC are immense. With a divided island, now looking permanently partitioned on account of the impending re-election for a second term of the inflexible Greek Cypriot President Papadopoulos, neither the EU nor the United States nor the world at large, can afford to sit and watch the unresolved Cyprus problem descend into yet another zone of hot conflict in a chaos-ridden world, hungry for oil.

Gradually but surely, therefore, the coming years will witness a Two-State solution in Cyprus, first by the lifting of political and economic embargoes on northern Cyprus in the international arena, followed by statehood, similar to what is happening in Kosovo.

* Özay Mehmet, Ph.D, is professor emeritus with the Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada and professor of economics with the Eastern Mediterranean University, northern Cyprus. He can be reached at [email protected]

How can an area south of larnaca be considered Turkish territorial waters?

[Nikitas]

This piece would get marked with an F if it was handed in to my international law professor back in the 70s.

Professor whoever he is, forgets that Cyprus is in the EU and in the Eurozone, firmly locked into the west. So there is no possibility of this "corridor" falling into enemy hands if the island is reunited.

There is no such thins as an energy corridor. For as long as the oil from central Asia lasts, and it is calculated it will last 20 to 30 years, the ports where the pipeline ends are important, not the seas around them.

The oil from central Asia is more easily directed eastwards to China and India, its biggest potential market. The assumption that the West is the biggest oil buyer is false.

The USA has already warned Turkey to keep off Cyprus international waters. Turkey is not the major power in the region, the USA with the 6th fleet is. Then come France, Italy, Israel, the UK and others who have more and better ships in the area.

Professor is trying to rationalise partition using bullshit arguments.

[kurupetos]

Turks, unlike Iranians, are pro-West, even though to date they have been unfairly treated.

[Get Real!]

This guy holds a Ph.D?

What is not fully realized yet is that the Old Cyprus Problem is dead, having died with the Annan Plan.

Wishful thinking… UN resolutions are eternally binding.

Gradually but surely, therefore, the coming years will witness a Two-State solution in Cyprus, first by the lifting of political and economic embargoes on northern Cyprus in the international arena, followed by statehood, similar to what is happening in Kosovo.

And here’s the punch-line that every TC article ends with… even more wishful thinking.

[Oracle]

..... The other is the control of sea lanes in waters to the north of northern Cyprus and south of Anatolian coastline, the Turkish Energy Corridor (TEC)....

The Turkish Energy Corridor is surely very large.

The north pole lies to the north of northern Cyprus in the northern hemisphere.

The converse is also true for the stretch to the south of Anatolian coastline.

Can the Turks manage all these resources by themselves?

[kurupetos]

Turkish approach on oil issue:

Mine is mine and yours (Cyprus - occupied or free) is mine also.

[zan]

This piece would get marked with an F if it was handed in to my international law professor back in the 70s.

Professor whoever he is, forgets that Cyprus is in the EU and in the Eurozone, firmly locked into the west. So there is no possibility of this "corridor" falling into enemy hands if the island is reunited.

There is no such thins as an energy corridor. For as long as the oil from central Asia lasts, and it is calculated it will last 20 to 30 years, the ports where the pipeline ends are important, not the seas around them.

The oil from central Asia is more easily directed eastwards to China and India, its biggest potential market. The assumption that the West is the biggest oil buyer is false.

The USA has already warned Turkey to keep off Cyprus international waters. Turkey is not the major power in the region, the USA with the 6th fleet is. Then come France, Italy, Israel, the UK and others who have more and better ships in the area.

Professor is trying to rationalise partition using bullshit arguments.

The OIC is bidding for this as well if you remember..If you dare read between the lines the enemy hands means if Turkey decides to go in that direction....You guys show time and time again that you have not got a clue as to the real world......And those that have and are shitting themselves can only put on smilie emotions to cover up their fears...... Who the hell are you trying to con

[paliometoxo]

that articalis so full of crap this guy is dreaming

[shahmaran]

Wouldn't expect you to think otherwise, or we wouldn't need to have a border in the middle of our island, nor would we need this forum.