Episode #106: East Med & Down (feat. Amberin Zaman)

This week, Phil and Cooper explain the age-old territorial dispute between the Greeks and the Turks for the island of Cyprus. The dispute has re-entered the national conversation as Turkey presses forward with some ambitious plans to drill for oil in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in waters claimed by both Cyprus and Turkey. Why is the Turkish government so determined to drill? And how have other countries responded? Al-Monitor senior correspondent Amberin Zaman joins the podcast after reporting from Cyprus on the story. Eastern Mediterranean crisis balloons as Turkish drill ships multiply  (Amberin Zaman) EU downgrades diplomatic ties, funding with Turkey over Cyprus gas drilling  (Diego Cupolo) Congress advances bill sidelining Turkey on Mediterranean gas dispute  (Bryant Harris) Eastern Mediterranean heats up as gas rivalry stakes grow higher  (Metin Gurcan) Militarization of Mediterranean rises with exploration disputes  (Metin Gurcan) Music: Monsieur Doumani - “Mandra” (Spotify  |  Apple Music)