Turkey vs Greece dispute and alleged terrorism in Venezuela

Turkish authorities stated that they would extend seismic exploration in the disputed area of the Eastern Mediterranean until November 4th. Greece called it an “illegal move” that is breaking international law. Three Turkish ships are prospecting for mineral resources (gas and oil) south of the Greek Rhodes island. As a counter to Turkish actions, the Greek government plans to expand its trade, energy, and military cooperation with Israel, Cyprus, and other countries in the region.

President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duerte, removed a six-year ban on oil exploration in the South China Sea. The decision opens a way for cooperation between the Philippines and China in mutual extraction projects if the two countries are able to get over the overlapping territorial claims in the region.

According to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Amuay oil refinery in the north-west of the country was damaged as a result of a terrorist attack. A month before, Venezuelan authorities arrested Matthew John Heath, a U.S. citizen. They charged Heath with terrorism, weapons trafficking, and conspiracy. President claims that the U.S. conspires with his political opponents to remove him from power, while the government struggles to provide domestic oil from the beleaguered country’s industry. In the last months, Venezuela started to import oil from Iran.