Is Qatar Friend or Foe?

PUGAT News Analysis / Mehmet Kılıçparlar

Foremost among the issues on which the AKP government, in power in Türkiye for about 20 years, has had problems with foreign countries, especially Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, has been natural gas exploration and drilling in the Mediterranean. At one point, our fighter jets’ constant dogfights with Greece gave way to mutual NAVTEX announcements. The government side even began to use the concept of the “Blue Homeland” (borrowed from its ideological opponents at home) for the waters of our continental shelf, to stress the importance it attached to the issue.

Our First Reaction Was Harsh

On 5 April 2017, the “ExxonMobil–Qatar Petroleum” consortium had concluded an agreement with the Greek Cypriot administration for natural gas exploration and drilling rights in Block 10, south-west of Cyprus. The Foreign Ministries of Türkiye and the TRNC had reacted to this agreement too. And this even though Block 10 does not lie within the continental shelf of Türkiye or the TRNC! Moreover, in response to this agreement, the drilling ships Fatih and Yavuz were sent out into the Mediterranean under the protection of warships, and natural gas exploration began.

New Agreements Were Signed

The activities carried out by Türkiye did not, of course, go unanswered, and the Greek Cypriot administration strengthened its partnership in the Eastern Mediterranean with the American ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum, concluding and signing a natural gas exploration and drilling agreement for Block 5. Under the agreement, Qatar Petroleum will hold a 40% share and Exxon 60%. Exxon will also be the operator. The problem for Türkiye is that part of the area called “Block 5” falls within Türkiye’s continental shelf. It was striking that this agreement was made official right after President Erdoğan returned from Qatar.

Erdoğan Was Asked

To the question, “There is an exploration licence granted by the Greek Cypriot administration to the partnership of an American firm and Qatar Petroleum in Block 5, in a way that also covers Türkiye’s continental shelf. The Foreign Ministry reacted to this. Did this issue come up in this meeting?”, Erdoğan replied: “We stated that this unilateral step by the Greek Cypriot administration ignores the rights of our country and of the Turkish Cypriots. Because part of the licence area in question violates Türkiye’s continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean and ignores the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, the co-owners of the island. We of course gave a reminder on this matter. We also expressed our regret. I hope they will get past this. Of course our Foreign Ministry will also follow it up.”

Silence Prevails

Meanwhile, the Greek Cypriot Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry announced that the drilling work was proceeding smoothly and that no problems had yet arisen. The Turkish Foreign Ministry and government officials, however, made no comment on the matter. Many have criticised the government, which sent out warships and issued NAVTEX after NAVTEX for Block 10 even though it was not in our continental shelf, for staying silent about exploration in waters that are in our own continental shelf. In the face of this silence, there were even comments that the green of the dollar had triumphed over the concept of the “Blue Homeland”.

Relations with Qatar

The rapprochement between Türkiye and Qatar grew, especially after Türkiye drifted away from Europe. The Republic of Türkiye set up a military base in Qatar. On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut all diplomatic relations with Qatar on charges of “supporting terrorist groups” and imposed an economic embargo on the country. Food, water and medicine were delivered by air and sea to Qatar, which was under the embargo of the four countries.

Turkish police will serve to provide security in the country, which will host the 2022 World Cup. Most recently, in the first week of December, President Erdoğan went to Qatar and signed 15 agreements. Among the most talked-about claims is that the government is trying to keep the economy afloat with money brought from Qatar.

The Gift Plane

In 2018 Qatar put a VIP-equipped Boeing 747-8 private plane up for sale for 500 million dollars. Having learned that Türkiye was interested in the sale, the Emir of Qatar reportedly said, “I will not take money from Türkiye; I am giving the plane to Türkiye as a gift, as a donation,” and the plane was taken by Türkiye and added to President Erdoğan’s fleet.

What Changed?

What happened that Qatar, which gave Türkiye a 500-million-dollar plane as a gift at a stroke, signed agreements worth billions of dollars with Türkiye at its most difficult moment, and for whose security we were willing to risk our soldiers and police, has today become a partner in gas exploration and drilling against us in an area that also extends into our continental shelf? What could make it confident enough to risk a clash with Türkiye? I think the answer to this question lies not in what Qatar has given Türkiye but in what Türkiye has given Qatar.