On June 11, in Houston, USA, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the USA signed a Declaration of Intent for the creation of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center, based at Rice University. This is essentially the permanent base of the Three Plus One scheme, which until now has operated mainly through ministerial meetings and joint statements.
The center will deal with the development of natural gas, LNG infrastructure, energy networks, electrical interconnections, research and new technologies. Particular emphasis is placed on the protection of energy facilities from cyberattacks, sabotage and other threats. Simply put, the four countries want to plan the energy projects of the region together and bring governments, universities and large companies to the same table.
The value of the agreement is mainly geostrategic. The US is institutionally linked to Greece, Cyprus and Israel for the energy and security of the Eastern Mediterranean, while Turkey is absent from the scheme. Pipelines and drilling will require money, studies and decisions. The important thing for now is that Washington has signed a permanent axis of cooperation, in which Greece (EU) and Cyprus (EU) are included and have a say.
Cyprus is changing, Turkey is being squeezed
Speaking of the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey has really started to be squeezed. This is also evident from the irritation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who accused small states in the region of having climbed, as he said, into Israel’s boat and chasing dreams bigger than their size.
And to be absolutely clear, he stated that “if the rights of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are affected, our response will be clear and very tough.” When the President of Turkey, even speaking like this, means that he sees around him a reality that he does not like at all.
The Eastern Mediterranean is changing before our eyes. Think about it a little coolly. On the one hand, there is Greece (EU), with Armed Forces that are modernizing and acquiring capabilities that a few years ago seemed distant. On the other hand, there is Israel, one of the strongest military powers on the planet, with real combat experience, technology and industry. And behind Greece, Israel and Cyprus is the USA, with a different degree of support for each, but with a common interest in protecting the energy security, sea routes and stability of the region.
Cyprus, in fact, will be significantly strengthened militarily in the coming years. It may have the enemy in the north, with the Turkish occupation army remaining there, but to the east it has Israel and to the west it has Greece.
That is, it has allies with strong Armed Forces, close cooperation and, above all, common interests. This is what bothers Ankara the most. Cyprus is gradually ceasing to be an isolated island vis-à-vis Turkey and is turning into a crucial link in an axis that Ankara neither controls nor can ignore.
