Statements by the CEO of Enterprise Greece, Marinos Giannopoulos, on “Greece-Turkey energy cooperation in the Aegean and Southern Mediterranean” have raised question marks, reported diplomacy journalist Nikos Meletis on news website liberal.gr
In an interview with Turkish news agency Anadolu, Galanopoulos presented investment opportunities in Greece and referred to pipelines and interconnections and mainly to new natural gas transport infrastructures with liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.
He presented a wide range for investments such as renewable energy projects involving solar energy, solar thermal power plants, biomass, hydroelectric and geothermal micro-technologies, as well as emerging technologies such as green hydrogen and carbon capture and the opportunities for cooperation in energy storage, energy efficiency and energy saving projects, electricity grid connection and renewable energy projects for islands, improvement and development of cross-border electricity grid interconnections.
But his reference to cooperation in the energy sector in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean caused an impression, Meletis pointed out.
“Taking into account the historical, cultural and commercial ties between our countries, as well as the cooperation that has been established within the framework of the positive agenda, I believe that it has come the time for Greece and Turkey to take the next steps for the development of energy cooperation in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean,” the CEO of Enterprise Greece said.
Galanopoulos’ statements became the front page in the online edition of the major Turkish newspaper Sabah and it is reproduced by a large part of the Turkish press.
But his statement whether the invitation for “energy cooperation” also includes hydrocarbon research raises many questions. It is known that any research outside the territorial waters in the Aegean collides with the non-demarcation of the EEZ and continental shelf which has not been done due to Turkey’s claims against Greece.
And obviously “cooperation” in this field and under these conditions cannot exist in unde-marcated areas, nor certainly any form of joint exploitation. it is noted.
On the other hand, however, even the utilization of Renewable Energy Sources such as Wind meets problems due to the theory of “gray zones” that Turkey disputes the Greek sovereignty over a number of rocky islands that could be installed RES.
The statement of Giannopoulos raised many question marks and clarifications should immediately be given as to exactly what the Enterprise Greece executive means by “energy cooperation with Turkey in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean” and whether this proposal of his has been processed also from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which the Organization is affiliated, liberal.gr stressed.
