Turkey-Greece conflict in eastern Mediterranean is less about gas than vaccuum left by Trump

Turkey's Oruç Reis vessel has been carrying out seismic work in contested waters. EPA The worsening stand-off in the eastern Mediterranean, frequently described as a gas conflict, has been gaining momentum . Yet it is a strange time to be fighting over gas when prices remain in a slump due to weak demand and investors withdrawing. So what explains the escalating conflict between Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, which is drawing in other regional and European powers? Large reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the region a decade ago. The estimates are worth trillions of dollars to the surrounding countries even at today’s prices. On August 13 Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan...