Europe overlooks Erdogan’s crimes in the Middle East

Mohamed Abdel Ghaffar

Turkey has continued its illegal exploration operations for natural gas in the east Mediterranean region, using 4 exploration ships and a drone for protection. Ankara is banking on a massive intelligence and logistical support, while Europe is imposing futile sanctions. That raises a number of questions about the European Union’s silence on Ankara’s illegal actions.

Turkey plays a key role as a mediator for gas trade although it is ranks 73^rd in the world’s natural gas production. Turkey is one percent self-sufficient. Roughly three percent of the global oil trade passes through Turkey.

The Nabucco pipeline is one of the gas pipelines which pass through Turkey to Europe. The Nabucco pipeline agreement was signed on July 13, 2009. The pipeline’s cost totaled 7.9 billion euros. It started to transfer 8 billion cubic meters of gas, and reached 32 billion cubic meters.

There’s also the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which connects Azerbaijan and European markets through Turkey and Georgia. It was signed on June 26, 2012, in a deal worth $12 billion.

It is quite clear that there are a number of gas pipelines passing through several countries to the Europe via Turkey. European countries believe they can get a share in the east Mediterranean gas through the United States and its allies.

Therefore, neither the EU nor the NATO would want to be at odds with Turkey and Erdogan’s regime.