FT: Egypt and Cyprus freeze out Turkey in possible gas deal

Egypt and Cyprus are deepening energy co-operation, as an apparent anti-Turkey bloc emerges in the Eastern Mediterranean – potentially undermining US hopes that the area’s gas finds could reduce regional tensions.

At a tripartite Egyptian-Cypriot-Greek meeting in Nicosia on Tuesday, Sherif Ismail, Egypt’s petroleum minister, said Cairo would speed up talks to pipe Cypriot gas for domestic needs and possible re-export.

The use of the gas is a point of heated dispute between Cyprus and Ankara. “They should know that if they try to search for oil, natural gas, south of Cyprus we will not allow this,” Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish prime minister, said on Tuesday. “The Mediterranean is also our sea – if necessary, we too will drill.”

But the ministers’ meeting in Nicosia was only the latest such gathering at a time when Turkey’s relations with many of its neighbours have deteriorated.
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