Turkish Cypriot Businessman and Economist, Yusuf Kısa stated that Turkey's increase in natural gas works in the Mediterranean had great repercussions in Southern Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt. Kisa said, "If Turkey's recent efforts to explore gas reserves in the Mediterranean bear fruit, the balances in this region will change completely."
Noting that an agreement regarding the liquefaction terminal was signed between Southern Cyprus and Egypt yesterday, Kısa said, "According to the said agreement, the natural gas in the 12th parcel of Aphrodite, which is located in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), unilaterally declared by the Greek Cypriot administration, will be transported to the natural gas liquefaction terminal in Egypt via a submarine pipeline. " said.
Economist Kısa stated that this agreement means psychological warfare in the Mediterranean and said, "No matter what is done, at the end of the day, this natural gas within Exclusive Economic Zone will reach Europe and other countries through Turkey. Therefore, no step can remove Turkey's influence in the region."
"The balances in the region may change completely"
Kisa elaborates further that, Egypt, Southern Cyprus, and Israel, as well as Turkey's recent increase in natural gas works in the Mediterranean region, has a great impact, saying, "If Turkey's recent work in the Mediterranean yields fruit, the balances in this region will change completely," he said.
In June, Israel and Egypt signed a provisional three-year deal with the European Union (EU) to ensure a regular supply of gas to Europe. But extraction in the Eastern Mediterranean gas is unlikely to materialize before the middle of the decade. Chevron has an original plan to select an export monetization option for a second phase development of Leviathan and potentially it's 4.5 trillion cubic feet Cypriot Aphrodite field has suffered delays linked to a dispute over the boundary delineation of Aphrodite and the smaller Israeli Ishai field.
Israel and Cyprus are now working on a joint solution to allow development to proceed after Chevron, Delek and Israeli owners failed to agree on a compromise. The issue was discussed at the first trilateral energy minister meeting between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus in April, where it was agreed to appoint an external expert to examine the volume of natural gas in the reservoir.
Cypriot officials say a final investment decision on Aphrodite was due by 2023 with the first gas planned for 2025. A new onshore pipeline planned to be operational in 2025 will run between Ramat Hovav and Nitzana in southern Israel and will link up to the existing Arab Gas Pipeline. The Arab Gas Pipeline runs from El-Arish in Sinai, flows subsea, then travels up through Jordan to Syria with a link to Lebanon.
"Turkey can be an energy country like Russia and Iran"
Noting that other alternative routes are more costly, Kısa pointed out that without Turkey, the resources in the hydrocarbon deposits could not be delivered to Europe and other Western countries. Kısa, points out that if Turkey can extract gas on its own in its studies, this will create a dynamite effect in Mediterranean countries, "Turkey can be an energy country like Iran and Russia. This way, dependency on the USA and Europe can completely disappear.".
"Greeks do not have a Liquefaction Facility"
It is not a sur[rise to state that there is no liquefaction facility in the Greek,, "The estimated 4 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves in the Aphrodite field are not considered large enough to justify the construction and bear the costs of such a facility."
"Ankara opposes"
Kısa lastly, said: "On the other hand, Ankara is reacting to the natural gas steps taken by the Greeks unilaterally in the Mediterranean region. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, regarding the unilateral natural gas exploration activities in the Mediterranean, said, "Our warships, air force, and other security units are closely following the developments in the region with the authority to intervene in every way.
Turkey has the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean and Ankara stated that foreign companies operating offshore of Cyprus, only trust the Greek Cypriot side while undermining the rights of others. For us, our rights in the Aegean and Cyprus are what Afrin is," he said.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Ankara would issue new seismic exploration and drilling licenses for this particular feasibility study. “Our determination is unfaltering here,” he told the media. “We will not compromise in any way from this.”