Turkey’s Mediterranean Gas Plans Draw Fresh Criticism in Egypt

(Bloomberg) -- Egypt, Cyprus and Greece on Tuesday renewed their condemnation of Turkey’s plans for oil and gas drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi saying the move threatens to “destabilize the region.”

The Egyptian leader, speaking at a joint news conference with his Cypriot counterpart and Greece’s prime minister, said such “unilateral” plans could escalate regional tensions.

Cyprus has said Turkey’s exploration plans in the south of the divided island are illegal and a violation of its sovereign rights. Cyprus has an agreement with Total SA and Eni SpA for oil and natural gas exploration rights in Block 7 -- the area where Turkey wants to drill.

The meeting of the three leaders was the latest in a broader push by their countries to boost energy ties in the eastern Mediterranean.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tarek El-Tablawy in cairo at teltablawy@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Paul Abelsky

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