The future of energy and current geopolitical developments, along with the energy policies of regional actors and major powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, and developments related to the Israel-Palestine conflict, were discussed at the “Eastern Mediterranean Energy Summit” on Thursday.
The Eastern Mediterranean Energy Summit was organised in collaboration with the Centre for European-Mediterranean Studies (ASEMEDS) and the Federation of All Bureaucrats and Businesspersons (TÜMBIFED).
The conference addressed the ongoing energy debates in the Eastern Mediterranean, the energy policies of regional actors and major powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, and recent developments related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The summit, held at the Mustafa Çağatay Conference Hall of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, began with opening speeches.
Turgay Deniz, the Chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, drew attention to the importance of finding a solution that protects the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people.
He pointed out that efforts to exclude Türkiye from the energy equation were not acceptable.
ASEMEDS Director Murat Tüzünkan in his speech highlighted the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean in terms of hydrocarbon resources and expressed the view that regional cooperation in the area cannot be achieved without the involvement of Türkiye.
He suggested that a mechanism involving Türkiye, the TRNC, and cooperation among the parties in Cyprus could facilitate the process.
As the fourth speaker, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu emphasized the expertise required for the energy and hydrocarbon resources in the Blue Homeland.
Ertuğruloğlu said that the problems surrounding Cyprus cannot be solved as long as the Greek Cypriot side is recognized as the legitimate authority on the island.
Reminding that the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General will be arriving in Cyprus next week to seek common ground to start negotiations between the two sides, Ertuğruloğlu said, “The Greek Cypriot side will push for the resumption of the [settlement] talks that collapsed in 2017 and seek a negotiation process on the basis of a federal solution. In our view, the process collapsed in 2017, and repeating the same thing won’t yield different results. So a federal partnership is not on the table. It should be understood that the 6-month approval given to the personal representative does not imply any change in our new state policy.”
Ertuğruloğlu suggested that negotiations could take place between two equal and sovereign neighboring states, emphasizing that the United Nations needs to update itself.
“We will not allow approaches that mock our intelligence; there is no more time to waste for another 60 years. There is no alternative on the island other than two equal states with equal status,” he added.
President Ersin Tatar, in his speech, emphasized the importance of acting together to ensure the fair distribution of natural wealth in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Pointing to the reality of the TRNC, Tatar stated, “Even though they do not recognize the TRNC, our rights, which they cannot deny, are sufficient criteria for us to have a share of these riches in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Referring to the fact that in the Blue Homeland, the Republic of Türkiye and the TRNC together have a total area of 462,000km2, President Tatar emphasized that this is a considerable size that should not be underestimated.
He explained that with the will shown by experts and the strength of the Republic of Türkiye, a Türkiye-Libya corridor has been formed in the region and that along with the TRNC, an entirely new geography emerged in favour of the Blue Homeland doctrine.
Tatar added that this wider joint area formed serious obstacles to Greek-Greek Cypriot plans to transform the Eastern Mediterranean into a Greek lake.
He pointed out that the Mediterranean was a crucial point where 70% of world trade intersected, and the region had the potential for significant oil and gas reserves in the future.
Pointing out that current exploration activities around Cyprus were in violation of international law as the Greek Cypriots did not represent the whole island, the president expressed the view that these resources could be transported to Europe at a much better value if a solution was found to the Cyprus problem.
He also complained that the Greek Cypriot side had rejected a proposal for interconnecting the island to Europe via Türkiye because of its own plans to lay a cable from South Cyprus to Greece, a project which was not feasible.
Repeating his earlier calls for collaboration, President Tatar said, “Let us collaborate and fundamentally solve the energy issue of Cyprus by connecting through a cable via Türkiye to the EU in an interconnected system.”
After the opening speeches, the symposium continued with sessions on Energy Supply Security in Europe and the Middle East, the New Energy Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean Energy Conflicts, and the position of Türkiye and the TRNC.