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Turkey has brought a major U.S. energy player into the Eastern Mediterranean energy race, and that’s setting off alarm bells in Cyprus.
Ankara announced a cooperation agreement between its state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, a move that could place American commercial interests in waters Turkey claims, including areas internationally recognized as part of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone.
The deal was signed with ESSO Exploration International Ltd. and, according to Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, will focus on joint exploration for natural gas and oil in parts of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
In a social media post, Bayraktar said the partnership combines Turkey’s deep-sea drilling capabilities with ExxonMobil’s global experience, aiming to boost efficiency and open the door to new energy discoveries.
But the announcement was quickly followed by something more controversial. Turkish media published maps showing maritime blocks in the Mediterranean that Ankara considers its own, claims that extend to sea areas claimed by Cyprus, as well as zones Turkey asserts on behalf of the unrecognized Turkish Cypriot entity.
That immediately raised a key question: where exactly does Turkey plan to explore?
A strategic signal, not just energy
Israeli strategic analyst Shay Gal said Turkey’s language should not be taken at face value.
“When Ankara talks about the ‘Mediterranean,’ it’s not describing geography; it’s signaling intent,” Gal said. He noted that in official Turkish usage, the term deliberately stretches beyond internationally recognized maritime zones to include disputed areas, particularly those linked to Cyprus.
The term also covers maritime zones derived from the Turkey–Libya agreement, a deal the European Union has formally declared invalid.
Gal argued that this is no coincidence. Turkey is not a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and routinely advances unilateral interpretations of maritime rights that are rejected by the EU, Greece and Cyprus.
Why ExxonMobil matters
In that context, the involvement of a major American energy company is far more than a technical detail.
According to Gal, it is a strategic test, an attempt to see whether contested maritime claims can slowly be normalized through commercial activity and international partnerships.
Israel, he added, is watching developments closely. “Actions carried out under the cover of ambiguity will be judged by their consequences, not by their wording,” Gal warned, adding that any reaction would not be limited to the energy sector alone.
