16 Sept., 2011, Green Prophet
Egypt and Turkey entered into several new energy-sharing arrangements on a recent diplomatic visit to Cairo by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Energy Minister Taner Yıldız. Analysts speculate that the new alliance comes in response to a perceived Israeli-Cypriot alliance over natural gas extraction.
Oil wars are so last century. The resource with the potential to stir up most turmoil in the Mediterranean region over the next year? Natural gas. In the last week alone, the Turkish government has launched three aggressive foreign policy initiatives regarding this precious (and polluting) fuel.
It can be difficult to sift through all the news and figure out exactly what’s going on, and how each case is connected. Read on for a simple breakdown of natural gas politics in the Mediterranean — and how it’s unlikely to get simpler any time soon.
Julia Harte 