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1. US NSC Chief joins Cyprus-Israel talks on maritime assistance

Curtis Ried, the Chief of Staff for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) joined the Republic of Cyprus and Israeli officials "for productive discussions on Cyprus’s maritime assistance corridor concept"....

2. Turkish drillship sets sail amidst Mediterranean tensions

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has announced a new mission in the Mediterranean of the Abdulhamid Han drillship, which is the latest addition to the Turkish Petroleum Company’s (TPAO) exploration fleet....

3. Turkish ship Oruc Reis to continue hydrocarbon exploration

The Antalya station issued a navigational telex (Navtex) late Thursday announcing that the Turkish ship Oruc Reis will continue its seismic exploration mission in the sea area between southern Turkey and the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus through January 31....

4. Citizens to have access to Cyprus public and government services though a single Portal

The Cyprus Government is hoping to give its citizens the potential to have online access to public digital services and government services as of 2022 through a Portal (gov.cy)....

5. ‘A Dark Room’: excerpts from Alexis Papachelas’ forthcoming book

“The nut, he went and did what we didn’t,” said Greek dictator Georgios Papadopoulos the morning of July 15, 1974 after he found out that Dimitris Ioannidis, the junta’s military police chief, had orchestrated a coup to overthrow Cyprus President Archbishop Makarios....

6. Perseverance successfully lands on Mars

NASA’s newest robotic explorer has landed safely on Mars after a nearly 300-million-mile journey that began on a Florida launch pad, with US Embassy in Nicosia hosting a live stream on the groundbreaking mission in search of ancient life on the Red Planet...

7. Athens protests new Turkish Navtex

Greece’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday lodged a demarche with Turkey’s Foreign Ministry through its embassy in Ankara in protest at the announced plans for an upcoming Turkish hydrographic survey between the Greek islands of Limnos, Skyros and Alonnisos from Thursday to March 2. ...

8. Ankara tries to open Jerusalem channel

In a bid to create rifts in Israel’s alliances with Greece and Cyprus, Turkey is reportedly trying to open channels with Tel Aviv through proposals officially submitted by retired rear admiral Cihat Yayci, architect of Ankara’s expansionist Blue Homeland doctrine and its maritime borders pact with Libya. ...

9. Cat-and-mouse game with Turkey must stop, Michel says

A game of “cat-and-mouse” between the European Union and Turkey needs to come to an end, European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday, in reference to a dispute over natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean....

10. Turkey extends Oruc Reis Navtex, Athens reacts

Athens on Wednesday condemned Turkey’s decision earlier in the day to issue a navigational telex (Navtex) for the continuation of survey activities of the Oruc Reis vessel in an area overlapping the Greek continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean through November 23....

11. Turkish Navtex reserves area southwest of Cyprus

Turkey issued a new navigational telex (Navtex) late on Tuesday reserving an area off the southwestern coast of Cyprus, with the Republic of Cyprus on Wednesday demanding Turkey immediately seizes seismic research within the Cyprus EEZ. ...

12. Greece and Turkey take it down a notch

Greece and Turkey have mutually cancelled military exercises on each other’s national holiday this week, as a gesture of goodwill following a special NATO-sponsored meeting between the two defense ministers...

13. Friction in East Med to be prolonged

Turkey’s Oruc Reis seismic survey vessel will explore the area east of the 28th meridian for another two months, according to Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, effectively heralding a long period of friction in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...

14. NAVTEX wars continue in eastern Med

Greece has issued a counter navigational warning following NAVTEX messages from Turkey, after Ankara renewed exploratory activities in contested Mediterranean waters and further denounced Athens for treaty violations...

15. Turkey points finger at Greece

Ankara fired back at US and EU criticism over actions of its decision to send Oruc Reis survey vessel near the Greek island of Kastellorizo, while also accusing Athens of escalating tensions and refusing honest dialogue over maritime disputes...

16. EU FMs call for reversal of Varosha opening

The 27 EU foreign ministers called on Monday for a reversal of the opening of Varosha, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, after chairing a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council earlier in Luxembourg....

17. Nicosia in wait-and-see over Barbaros

Government officials in the Republic of Cyprus on Friday declined to comment on reports that Turkish seismic vessel Barbaros had moved away from contested waters off Cyprus, suggesting Nicosia was in a wait-and-see mode amid reports of ongoing diplomatic efforts at the European level between Greece and Turkey...

18. East Mediterranean dialogue prospects ‘at sea’

Cypriot government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos said Turkey’s pulling out of Yavuz drillship from waters off Cyprus was a positive step but cautioned it was not known whether the withdrawal would be short-lived...

19. Berlin pushing Greece, Turkey dialogue

Berlin’s intense efforts to get talks between Athens and Ankara under way were underlined by Wednesday’s teleconference German Chancellor Angela Merkel had with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a few hours after one with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis....

20. Turkey accuses Greece of treaty violations

Turkey has issued a navigational telex to mariners accusing Greece of violating the Lausanne Treaty by militarizing the Greek island of Chios just 10 miles from a Turkish port...

21. Turkey: Russia to hold live-fire exercises in Mediterranean

Turkey has announced that Russia will hold live-fire naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, amid escalating tensions between Turkey and its coastal neighbors Greece and Cyprus over rights to search for energy resources in the region. ...

22. Old rivalries continue in eastern Mediterranean

Greece has issued a competing navigational telex after Turkey extended seismic surveys in the eastern Mediterranean, with no signs between the two NATO allies of burying the hatchet over old rivalries that continue to this day...

23. Joint drill makes waves around Cyprus

Turkey issued a new navigational telex on Thursday for gunnery exercises next week in the eastern Mediterranean, following an ongoing joint military drill between Cyprus, Greece, France and Italy...

24. Turkey issues yet another Navtex as vessel moves into Greek EEZ

Turkey has responded to a Greek navigational telex (Navtex) issued earlier Monday with an advisory saying that three Turkish research vessels are “conducting seismic survey in Turkey’s continental shelf… in accordance with international law.”...

25. Turkish seismic research vessel within Cyprus EEZ

The Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis was spotted on Monday off the Western coast of Cyprus and in the area delineated by Turkey’s fresh Navtex....

26. Regional tensions flare up anew as Turkey issues new Navtex

27. Greek FM says Athens got Nicosia’s back

Nicosia and Athens are seeking ways to further oppose Turkey’s moves in the eastern Mediterranean, after Ankara signaled it was ready for dialogue but also sent a seismic research vessel in Cypriot waters...

28. NAVTEX warnings muddy the waters off Cyprus

Rival navigational warnings and conflicting information about naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean dominated headlines over the weekend, with Germany appearing to be behind a last-ditch effort to buy time and de-escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey...

29. Greek armed forces on alert over Turkish exploration off Kastellorizo

The Antalya Navtex station on Tuesday announced plans for a Turkish seismic survey south and east of the Greek island of Kastellorizo from July 21-August 2....

30. Greek-Turkish ties come under strain

The already tense relationship between Greece and Turkey has been strained further in the wake of Ankara’s leaking of a supposedly secret meeting between Greek, Turkish and German officials following Turkey’s controversial decision to convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque and amid an increasingly aggressive Turkish stance in the East Mediterranean. The already tense relationship between Greece and Turkey has been strained further in the wake of Ankara’s leaking of a supposedly secret meeting between Greek, Turkish and German officials following Turkey’s controversial decision to convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque and amid an increasingly aggressive Turkish stance in the East Mediterranean. ...