Israel, Greece And Cyprus Sign A Gas Pipeline Deal Over Turkey's Objections

Al Jazeera: Greece, Israel, Cyprus sign gas pipeline deal, angering Turkey

Accord creates new tensions between Greece and Turkey as Ankara says EastMed project cannot proceed without its consent.

The leaders of Greece, Israel and Cyprus met in Athens on Thursday to sign a deal for an undersea pipeline that would carry gas from new offshore deposits in the southeastern Mediterranean to continental Europe - a move that has riled Turkey.

The 2,000-km (1,243-mile) EastMed pipeline is intended to provide an alternative gas source for energy-hungry Europe, which is currently largely dependent on supplies from Russia and the Caucasus region.

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WNU Editor: This is why Turkey is against this deal .... Turkish Cyprus describes EastMed agreement as 'provocative attempt to exclude Turkish Cypriots' (Hurriyet Daily News)

More News On Israel, Greece And Cyprus Signing A Gas Pipeline Deal Over Turkey's Objections

New Pipeline Deal Gives Europe Access To Eastern Mediterranean Gas Reserves, Angering Turkey -- Forbes
Greece, Israel & Cyprus ink EastMed gas pipeline deal amid Turkish outcry -- RT
East Mediterranean gas pipeline project can't succeed, Ankara says -- Hurriyet Daily News
Israel, Greece and Cyprus sign gas pipeline deal -- DW
Greece, Cyprus, Israel Sign EastMed Gas Pipeline Deal To Ease Reliance On Russia -- Eurasia Review
Is Turkey Trying to Sabotage Massive New Israel-Cyprus-Greece EastMed Gas Deal? -- Ariel Ben Solomon, Al Gemeiner/JNS.org

Israel, Greece, And Cyprus Agree To Develop Energy Projects Together

DNA: Cyprus, Israel, Greece close ranks with gas pipeline

Netanyahu said the three countries were to form a trilateral committee to study plans to build a pipeline between Israel and Cyprus and on to Greece for gas exports to Europe.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades hosted a three-way meeting today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras focused on plans to build a gas pipeline to Europe.

With Cyprus, which lies just 100 kilometres from the Syrian coast, on the fringes of a region wracked by conflict, the three countries say cooperation holds the key to regional stability. While the alliance has emerged around gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, water resources and tourism were also high on the agenda of the talks, said Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides.

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Update #1: Leaders of Cyprus, Greece, Israel meet to boost cooperation -- AP
Update #2: Cyprus, Israel, Greece see gas pipeline as peace catalyst (AFP)

WNU Editor: The dynamics behind this get-together is interesting. Greece needs money, Cyprus needs money, and Israel needs money and allies in the region. Since no one else wants to work with them, they have gotten together to see what they can develop.

Israel Conducted Secret Training Exercises In Greece To Counter Russian-Made Air Defenses

Russian S-300 anti-missile rocket system move along a central street during a rehearsal for a military parade in Moscow May 4, 2009. Reuters/Alexander Natruskin

Reuters: Israel trained against Russian-made air defense system in Greece: sources

Israel has quietly tested ways of defeating an advanced air-defence system that Russia has deployed in the Middle East and that could limit Israel's ability to strike in Syria or Iran, military and diplomatic sources said.

The sources said a Russian S-300 anti-aircraft system, sold to Cyprus 18 years ago but now located on the Greek island of Crete, had been activated during joint drills between the Greek and Israeli air forces in April-May this year.

The activation allowed Israel's warplanes to test how the S-300's lock-on system works, gathering data on its powerful tracking radar and how it might be blinded or bluffed.

One defense source in the region said Greece had done so at the request of the United States, Israel’s chief ally, on at least one occasion in the past year. It was unclear whether Israel had shared its findings with its allies.

WNU Editor: I am sure that the Russians knew about these exercises .... which probably explains why they made the decision to deploy their more advanced S-400 systems to Syria (not the S-300). But I suspect that the real target for Israel is Iran (not Russia), who are now receiving the S-300 .... Russia begins delivering S-300 air defense system to Iran (Times of Israel).

More News On Israel Conducting Secret Training Exercises In Greece To Counter Russian-Made Air Defenses

IAF said training to counter Russian-made air defenses -- Times of Israel
Report: Israel practiced defeating S-300 Russian defense system in Greece -- Jerusalem Post
Israel warplanes figure out how to confuse Russia's 'unbeatable' air-defence system -- Express
Israel, Greece coordinated exercises against S-300 missile system: report -- i24 News
Israeli and Greek Militaries Reportedly Conducted Secret Training Exercises in Greece -- Greek Reporter