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In a carefully coordinated diplomatic effort, Greece and Cyprus are pushing for European Union attention on a potential agreement between Turkey and Syria to delimit maritime zones, raising the specter of legal and political tensions reminiscent of the illegal Turkey-Libya memorandum.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides presented the issue during European Council discussions, advocating for a statement emphasizing the respect of sovereign rights of nations bordering Syria.<\/p>\n
The aim is to counter Ankara\u2019s efforts to impose unilateral maritime claims that disregard the rights of islands, including the Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n
European officials, largely unaware of the issue\u2019s complexity, are now considering including relevant language in summit conclusions.<\/p>\n
This follows a precedent: the EU\u2019s formal disapproval of the Turkey-Libya memorandum as a breach of international law.<\/p>\n
Athens underscores its concerns as Turkey accelerates its efforts, spurred by the political vacuum after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad\u2019s fall.<\/p>\n
Improved Ankara-Damascus ties, once inconceivable due to decades of hostility during the Assad family\u2019s rule of Syria, could pave the way for swift agreements that sideline international norms.<\/p>\n
US involvement is growing as Washington seeks to re-engage with Damascus.<\/p>\n
In a hint of an evolving geopolitical calculus, Barbara Leaf, a senior State Department official, is scheduled to meet Syria\u2019s transitional leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led a rebel coalition that ousted Assad.<\/p>\n
For now, Greece is focused on preserving its strong ties with Israel, a key Eastern Mediterranean power.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Diplomatic overtures aim to block Turkey\u2019s narrative of legitimacy as Athens advocates for regional cooperation and rule of law.<\/p>\n
With the Eastern Mediterranean\u2019s stability in flux, the Greece-Cyprus axis highlights the urgent need for multilateral consensus against unilateral moves by Ankara.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n