ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes “a win-win formula” can be found in a row with Greece over undersea resources, according to comments published on Monday, as EU leaders mull sanctions ahead of a summit.
NATO members Turkey and Greece have been at loggerheads over maritime territory in the eastern Mediterranean, believed to be rich in energy resources including natural gas.
Turkey has enraged Greece by sending a survey ship and navy vessels to the disputed waters, prompting Athens to push its EU allies for tougher sanctions at Thursday’s summit.
“I am calling on all neighboring countries in the Mediterranean especially Greece not to see this issue as a zero-sum game,” Erdogan said.
“I believe a win-win formula that observes everyone’s rights could be found.”
Erdogan reiterated a call to gather “all the actors around the table” including the breakaway republic in northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey.
But Greece has insisted Turkey — a candidate country to join the European Union — must halt its exploration before negotiations can begin.
Not all EU members are convinced by sanctions, with some fearing that an escalating standoff could see Erdogan’s government once again allow asylum seekers to leave Turkey and cross into the bloc.
European Council chief Charles Michel, who will host the summit, on Friday expressed Europe’s frustration.
“I think that the cat and mouse game needs to end,” Michel said, referring to Turkey’s repeated incursions into disputed waters with gas exploration vessels.
“We will have a debate at the European summit on December 10 and we are ready to use the means at our disposal,” he said.
Last month, Turkey pulled its research vessel Oruc Reis back to port, just as it did before a previous EU summit.
Turkish President Erdogan seeks ‘win-win formula’ in Greece gas row
https://arab.news/jj4hg
Turkish President Erdogan seeks ‘win-win formula’ in Greece gas row
- Turkey has enraged Greece by sending a survey ship and navy vessels to the disputed waters
- ‘I believe a win-win formula that observes everyone’s rights could be found’
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
- Dust storms have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze
BAGHDAD: Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
Sand and dust storms — driven by severe drought, rising temperatures and deforestation — have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze, grounded flights and filled hospitals with patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to address the root of the problem.
In a relatively small area between the cities of Nasiriyah and Samawah, not far from ancient Sumerian ruins, laborers are working hard to stabilize the soil by applying a layer of moist clay 20-25 centimeters thick.
The project also includes planting heat-tolerant seedlings like Prosopis and Conocarpus to further stabilize the soil.
“The main goal is to reduce the impact of transboundary dust storms,” said Udai Taha Lafta from UN-Habitat, which is leading the project to combat sandstorms with Iraqi expertise.
“It is a vital area despite its small size, and will hopefully help reduce dust storms next summer,” Lafta said.
A short-term objective is to shield a southern highway where many traffic accidents have occurred due to poor visibility during dust storms.
The Ministry of Environment estimates that Iraq now faces about 243 storms per year, and the frequency is expected to increase to 300 “dust days” by 2050 unless drastic mitigation measures are adopted.
In 2023, Iraqi authorities teamed up with the UN-Habitat and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in areas that have been identified as major sources of sandstorms.
The project has been implementing several methods in three southern areas, including digging water canals and supplying electricity to pump water from the Euphrates river, preparing barren lands for vegetation.
One of the project’s ultimate goals is to increase green spaces and for farmers to eventually sustain the lands after droughts and chronic water shortages have drastically reduced agricultural areas.
Qahtan Al-Mhana, from the Agriculture Ministry, said that stabilising the soil gives agricultural efforts in sandy areas a chance to endure.
He added that Iraq has extensive “successful” experience in combating desertification and dust storms by stabilising sand dunes.
Since the 1970s, the country has implemented such projects, but after decades of turmoil, environmental challenges have largely fallen by the wayside.
With the severe recent impact of climate change, “work has resumed,” said Najm Abed Taresh from Dhi Qar University. “We are making slow but
steady progress.”
