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- The Greek FM embarked on a tour of eastern Libya, Egypt and Cyprus
- He is seeking support against Turkey鈥檚 contentious maritime and military deal with the embattled UN-backed government in Tripoli
ATHENS: Greece is on a diplomatic push to isolate traditional rival Turkey as tension rises between the two NATO allies over energy exploration and support for opposing factions in war-torn Libya, say analysts.
On Sunday, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias embarked on a tour of eastern Libya, Egypt and Cyprus, seeking support against Turkey鈥檚 contentious maritime and military deal with the embattled UN-backed government in Tripoli.
Hours later, the Greek prime minister鈥檚 office announced that Athens would on January 2 host the signing of EastMed, a huge pipeline project with Cyprus and Israel to ship gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time in 20 years that we鈥檝e seen such (Greek diplomatic) activity,鈥� Sotiris Serbos, an international politics specialist at Democritus University in Thrace, told Athens municipal radio.
Athens was alarmed when in late November Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a security and military cooperation deal with UN-recognized Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj.
Greece took particular exception to the agreement on maritime jurisdiction, which it said ignored the maritime boundaries of Crete. In retaliation, Greece expelled the Libyan ambassador.
Analysts in Greece say Turkey鈥檚 recent rapprochement with Libya is aimed at shoring up a rare regional ally in Tripoli鈥檚 Government of National Accord (GNA).
But they say Turkey is also trying to avoid being shut out of the gas exploration scramble in the region.
Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
The GNA has suffered military setbacks against eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar.
鈥淎lliances create counter-alliances,鈥� Antonis Klapsis, an assistant professor of diplomacy at the University of Peloponnese, told Greek state TV ERT.
While Greece usually defers to the EU on major diplomatic initiatives, this time it is taking the lead, having forged ties with Egypt and Israel, as well as traditional ally Cyprus.
鈥淲e can go at it alone 鈥� but we won鈥檛 be alone,鈥� Foreign Minister Dendias told Open TV Monday.
Greece, after also securing EU backing on the issue, is now speeding up talks with Egypt on an exclusive economic zone to counter the Turkey-Libya deal.
For Alexis Papachelas, executive editor of liberal daily Kathimerini, this is a 鈥渕oment of truth鈥� in relations with decades-old rival Turkey.
鈥淭he early months of 2020 will be tough for Greek-Turkish relations,鈥� Papachelas wrote in an opinion piece Sunday.
鈥淭he moment of truth seems to be upon us as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears determined...to push Ankara鈥檚 territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean,鈥� he added.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to visit the White House on January 7.
While US diplomats have criticized the Turkey-Libya deal, US President Donald Trump has often toed a different line when it comes to Erdogan.
鈥淚t is the sort of situation where you find out who your real friends and allies are,鈥� notes Papachelas.
The EastMed project is designed to make Cyprus, Greece and Israel key links in Europe鈥檚 energy supply chain 鈥� and thwart Turkey鈥檚 effort to bolster its presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
Its backers plan to have the 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) pipeline transfer between nine and 12 billion cubic meters a year from offshore gas reserves between Israel and Cyprus to Greece 鈥� and from there to Italy and other southeastern European countries.
鈥淚t is really important that the countries showed they can react quickly against Turkey鈥檚 provocative stance,鈥� Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas told Open TV on Sunday.
Turkey already has ships searching for oil and gas off Cyprus, which has fueled tension with the European Union.
Erdogan, who has called into question decades-old sovereignty treaties with Greece, said Sunday that Turkey 鈥渘o longer had the luxury鈥� to be silent, or coy on the issue.
鈥淕reece and countries supporting it were for a long time making preparations to ensure Turkey could not take any steps in the sea,鈥� Erdogan said.
鈥淭hose who have sovereignty in the Aegean, and prepare projects with their eyes on Turkey鈥檚 rights with islands, islets and rocks that do not belong to them should know the space is not empty.鈥�