Mattis heaps praise on Greece as Turkey announces gas exploration off Cyprus

Ahead of a meeting Tuesday with Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, US Defense Secretary James Mattis praised Greece as a “solid” and “excellent” ally and described Souda Bay base on the island of Crete as “one of our most important ports of call in the Mediterranean.”

The meeting of the two men came as Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said Tuesday that Ankara will begin gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean by the end of October.

He also warned that Turkey will “protect until the end our resources deriving from international law.”

Last week, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said that it will not allow foreign energy companies to pursue gas exploration off Cyprus’s coast.

Nicosia had earlier invited energy companies to bid for a new license to drill for gas in Block 7 of its exclusive economic zone.

American energy company ExxonMolbil said last week that it will begin drilling off Cyprus by the end of the year.

Source: Ekathimerini

 

The Liberum

Vox Populi, Vox Dei
See full bio >
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

Turning threat into opportunity: How ISIS could keep Syria unified

Amid the chaos between the new de facto power in Syria and key sectarian and […]
- by The Liberum on 20/05/2025

Legacy of the Armenian Occupation: Azerbaijan Faces Massive Reconstruction Challenges

The Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, once a vibrant area of cultural and economic significance, still […]

The Georgian Tilt

Georgia has been hit by different revolutions and protests, from the Rose Revolution of 2003 […]
- by Arthur Blok on 12/05/2025

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev remains pragmatic about Peace with Armenia: “We never took revenge, only on the battlefield”

Occasionally, there are events that a journalist cannot afford to miss. One such event was […]

Pygmalion’s eyeball – Hitchcock and the male gaze, revisited

Disclaimer: It seems I’m going to have to eat some of my words as regards […]

Will some NATO members invade Russia?

As the United States and Israel reportedly gear up to bomb Iran, the European Union […]