Turkish resentment sours East Med gas mood

摘要

Turkey feels increasingly like an outsider on the East Mediterranean natural gas scene and is not happy about it. And a surprise threat to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's grip on power may encourage him to do more about it to distract from the domestic agenda. Several developments have contributed to Turkey's mood. Firstly, Ankara insists that the Republic of Cyprus has no right to explore for or develop offshore hydrocarbon resources while the island remains divided and the Turkish Cypriot community in the north is excluded from the process.