Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said this week that Turkey is open to joint energy cooperation with Greece, ...

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said this week that Turkey is open to joint energy cooperation with Greece, specifically pitching a Cyprus electricity cable and a gas pipeline as potential shared projects. The proposal comes as Greece and Cyprus are already advancing the EU-backed Great Sea Interconnector, a submarine electricity cable connecting Cyprus to the European grid through Greece. Turkey's pitch appears to position itself as an alternative partner in Eastern Mediterranean energy, though no deal has been proposed, agreed to, or signed. Bayraktar's framing is striking given Turkey's long-standing opposition to energy projects that cross what it considers disputed maritime zones. Ankara has previously pushed back hard against deals like the Cyprus-Lebanon maritime boundary agreement and repeatedly disputes the exclusive economic zones of Cyprus and Greece under international law. The timing is notable. The Greece-Israel-Cyprus trilateral has been quietly advancing plans to link Israeli offshore gas fields to LNG facilities in Cyprus for global export, while the electricity interconnector from Cyprus to the EU grid is approaching construction. Turkey's move appears aimed at inserting itself into a regional energy architecture that has been built entirely around it. Separately, Turkey's seismic research vessel Oruç Reis is heading to Pakistan, temporarily removing one of Ankara's most provocative tools from the Eastern Mediterranean. Whether that is coincidence or diplomatic signaling is unclear. No response from the Greek government on Bayraktar's proposal has been issued. #Greece #Turkey #EasternMediterranean