Eastern Mediterranean

Britain, a guarantor of Cyprus, has upped the pace of its diplomatic traffic with the parties ahead of a five-way conference to be held in Geneva to reach a final agreement for the reunification of Cyprus.

Cyprus, Greece and Israel said on Thursday they would speed up plans for the development of a pipeline channelling gas to Europe from newly discovered east Mediterranean reserves.

European governments and Israel agreed in April to move forward with a Mediterranean pipeline project to carry natural gas from Israel to Europe, setting a target date of 2025 for completion.

Israeli commandos were wrapping up a large-scale military drill in Cyprus’s Troodos Mountains on Wednesday.

The drill, the first of its kind to take place in Cyprus, involved hundreds of combat soldiers from the Egoz special forces unit as well as Black Hawk helicopters and Super Hercules transport plans.

The United States and Europe were Turkey's top destinations for military exports last year with sales worth $585 million and $450 million, respectively, as the Turkish industry grew by over 20 percent last year, according to a defense industry report late on June 13.        

The Australian government tried to give some explanations for its decision to withdraw its troops from UNFICYP after 53 years.

According to a communiqué by the UN in Cyprus, the Australian government says the reasons for the withdrawal of the forces are economic.

Three Turkish aircraft violated Greek national air space in the northeastern and southeastern Aegean five times Monday afternoon with Greek and Turkish aircraft engaging in a dogfight.

The Turkish aircraft - two F16s and a helicopter - also violated the Athens Flight Information Region on two occasions.

Turkey should stick to its European Union process in economic, security and democratization terms, the head of the country's top business organization has said, while also reiterating the organization's call for the launch of a comprehensive structural reform package. 

At the front door of a five-star Ankara hotel, the ambassador of a not-so-big but influential Western country grabbed my arm with one hand and in a clear voice whispered into my ear: "You might be wrong… This time there might be a Cyprus deal. I want to believe so."

At least ten migrants have died after their Europe-bound boats sank off Libya's coast and some 100 people are missing, coastguard officials and aid groups said on June 10.

Eight bodies were found on an inflatable craft that can carry up to 120 passengers, said Colonel Fathi al-Rayani, head of the coastguard in Garabulli, 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Tripoli.

The UN secretary-general on June 9 announced a Cyprus conference in Geneva on June 28, following a meeting with Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders. 

The conference will host Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement through his spokesman.