Jordan ready to unite against Turkey-Libya maritime accord

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he is willing to cooperate in joint action to achieve peace, stability and security in the region when discussing the Turkey-Libya maritime deal with President Nicos Anastasiades.

He told Anastasiades that he follows regional developments closely and reiterated his full support towards Cyprus, according to Cypriot government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos.

The Cypriot President on Monday had a long telephone conversation with King Abdullah II whom he briefed on the latest developments and dangers created by Turkey’s daily provocations and the maritime delimitation MoU it signed with Libya, said Koushos.

He said President Anastasiades and the King exchanged wishes for the New Year and agreed to keep in touch.

Anastasiades has been sounding out the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Greece and Lebanon to formulate joint diplomatic action to counter the Turkey-Libya deal, which they maintain heightens regional tensions and defies international law.

Nicosia has conducted a concerted diplomatic effort to render the agreement ineffective.

Turkey signed last month a memorandum of understanding with Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) that redefines the country’s maritime borders in the Mediterranean.

The agreement ignores territorial waters around Cyprus and a number of Greek islands. Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel, which seek to pipe natural gas to Europe across those waters, have all opposed it.

Ankara claims the agreement with Libya means that no oil and gas exploration or any other “projects” can proceed in the area without Turkey’s permission.

Turkey is locked in disputes with both Greece and Cyprus over territorial waters in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

Ankara doesn’t recognise EU-member Cyprus as a state and claims 44% of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Ankara has sent drilling ships to look for gas off Cyprus to stake its claim in the energy search.

The EU last month targeted Turkey with limited sanctions over its gas drilling in Cyprus EEZ.