File photo. [Turkish Presidency via AP]
Turkey is reportedly preparing legislation to formalize maritime claims in disputed parts of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, a move that could revive tensions with Greece and Cyprus over energy resources.
According to a Bloomberg report, the draft bill would be submitted to the Turkish parliament as part of Ankara’s effort to reinforce its jurisdictional claims and assert rights over potential offshore natural gas reserves.
The report did not say when the bill would be submitted to parliament.
Earlier this week, Devlet Bahceli, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned against regional energy and security cooperation involving France, Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
“Turkey is not a country that seeks tension,” Bahceli told parliament, while warning that any move disregarding Turkish maritime claims or Turkish Cypriot rights would prompt a “strong response.”
Bloomberg noted that Washington has encouraged dialogue between Athens and Ankara, while the European Union has previously threatened sanctions over Turkish hydrocarbon exploration activities in the region.