The arrival of the new American Ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle, on November 1, has ignited a firestorm in the Turkish press.
The Turkish media associate her with the “reactivation of the Trump plan” for the Eastern Mediterranean, just days before the upcoming ‘3+1’ Summit (Greece – Cyprus – Israel – U.S.A.) scheduled to take place in the Greek capital on November 6–7.
Nationalist and Eurasianist-leaning newspapers such as Aydınlık and Sözcü openly speak of “a new game by Washington against Turkey,” warning that “a front is being set up to exclude the Blue Homeland,” centered on the energy triangle of Greece – Cyprus – Israel.
Aydınlık refers to a “diabolical alliance” returning stronger than ever, revealing that “Trump’s father-in-law, Massad Boulos, is attempting to organize a four-party conference with Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Libya, aimed at nullifying the 2019 Turkey–Libya Agreement.”
Sözcü warns of “a new front in the Blue Homeland,” noting that the U.S. “is activating the 3+1 format” and promoting “an LNG pipeline that completely excludes Turkey.”
At the same time, the editor-in-chief of Milliyet, in an article titled “The Chess Game with the U.S. Continues,” attempts to de-escalate tensions but simultaneously issues a warning.
He admits that Washington will demand two moves from Ankara – “one concerning Israel and one Libya” – and stresses that “Chevron, backed by a former Trump cabinet minister, is operating in zones under Libyan jurisdiction.”
He also cites statements by U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Jeffry Flake Barack, at the Manama Dialogue Conference in Bahrain, where he said that “Turkey and Israel will not go to war” and that “there will be alignment from the Caspian to the Mediterranean.”
The Turkish columnist responds: “President Erdogan will not do business with Tel Aviv as long as this government is in power – but Washington seems to be playing on multiple boards.”
In the same vein, Haber Global speaks of a “new Chevron crisis in the Mediterranean,” featuring statements from the architect of the Blue Homeland, a retired admiral, who calls on Libya “to oppose American drilling with Turkey’s support.”
The picture is completed by rumors circulating in American and Turkish media regarding a “Trump proposal for the Cyprus issue” – a proposal that, according to reports, links the withdrawal of Turkish troops with energy agreements.
At the same time, nationalist websites present as a “sly move” the new India–Cyprus defense cooperation and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for a natural gas pipeline between Israel and Cyprus.
According to edotourkia, the Turkish public sphere is in turmoil. From Beirut and Libya to Crete and Nicosia, the media see Washington’s chessboard aiming to redraw the map of the Eastern Mediterranean and “corner Ankara between old and new energy axes.”
Turkish media fear Israel - Cyprus pipeline: “Tensions flare up in the Eastern Mediterranean”
“The balance of power is changing!” write Turkish opposition outlets after Energean’s proposal for a new natural gas pipeline from Israel to the Republic of Cyprus.
The project, as revealed by Oda Tv, Ensondakika, and CGTN Türk, has unsettled Ankara, as it is interpreted as a bypass of Turkey and the creation of a new Israel–Cyprus–Greece axis in the region.
A Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed within the framework of the ‘3+1’ format (U.S.A. – Israel – Greece – Cyprus), according to the same media.
The Turkish press warns that this is a geopolitical move that could overturn the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara speaks of “disregard for the rights of the TRNC,” as it calls the pseudo-state, and denounces a unilateral action.
At the same time, Turkish analysts fear an escalation of tensions and an energy blockade of Turkey.
The same sources link the project to the U.S. strategy of reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, giving a key role to Israel and Cyprus.
Meanwhile, they comment sarcastically that Israel “is promoting its image as a normal regional actor through energy diplomacy,” while “maintaining its occupation of Palestine.”
If implemented, the pipeline will connect Israeli gas fields with Nicosia and from there with Greece, creating a new energy corridor to Europe.
Ankara reacts:
“Only fair sharing brings stability!” emphasize Turkish outlets, warning that the agreement will deepen divisions in the region rather than bridge them.
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