Geography of Africa

Turkey will continue to protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean "without any compromise," the country's National Security Council said after a meeting on Tuesday.

The council, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also said it would  continue providing "military consultancy to Libya's legitimate government."

The publication in the Turkish government's gazette of a map outlining areas of the Greek continental shelf where Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) has applied for exploration permits has drawn an angry response from Athens, which warned it is fully prepared to respond in the event that Ankara chooses to conduct exploratory activities in these areas.

The whereabouts of three Turkish adventurers who set sail for a world tour on their catamaran have remained unknown for the past 36 days, as they were last reported to have taken refuge in the east African country of Eritrea as COVID-19 became a pandemic and due to bad weather conditions at the time, Hürriyet daily columnist Fatih Çekirge reported.

Sections of 24 blocks outlined in the Turkish Government Gazette on May 30 stemming from the contentious maritime borders agreement signed last November between Turkey and the Tripoli-based government in Libya come within or beyond 6 nautical miles of the coasts of eastern Crete, Kasos, Karpathos and Rhodes, and overlap the Greek continental shelf.

Turkey's gambit in Libya seems to be paying off in terms of altering the course of the war there - but whether it can translate these gains in the East Mediterranean into something more permanent is less clear.

Turkey may begin oil exploration in the eastern Mediterranean within three or four months under a deal it signed with Libya that was condemned by others in the region including Greece, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Friday.

Concerns are mounting in Athens as Ankara continued to raise the stakes on Thursday with a series of overflights by Turkish jets above several large eastern Aegean islands, while two Turkish Coast Guard vessels harassed a Frontex boat patrolling the sea border area and a Greek fishing boat. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on late May 15 demoted the Chief of Staff of the Turkish Navy Rear Admiral Cihat Yaycı, who is known as the architect of Ankara's naval policy regarding Libya.
Daily Hürriyet columnist Nedim Şener said on May 18 that Yaycı resigned after he was assigned to the Turkish General Staff last week.

Turkey has slammed a joint statement made by the foreign ministers of France, Egypt, Greek Cyprus, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates concerning its stance on Libya and the eastern Mediterranean Sea and accused them of seeking "regional chaos and instability."

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Friday met with US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, reports said.