Friday, June 12, 2026

GREEK REPORTER - US, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel Launch Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center - By Tasos Kokkinidis - June 12, 2026

GREEK REPORTER

US, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel Launch Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center

June 12, 2026

The United States, Cyprus, Greece, and Israel have formalized a new energy partnership aimed at securing infrastructure and boosting natural gas development in the Eastern Mediterranean.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed a Declaration of Intent (DOI) alongside Cypriot Energy Minister Michael Damianos, Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Dr. Yechiel Leiter. To anchor the initiative, the group partnered with Rice University President Reginald DesRoches to establish the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center (EMEC) on the university’s Houston campus.

The agreement operationalizes a core objective of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, a bipartisan framework originally passed by Congress in 2019 to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the region by solidifying US allied energy ties.

Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center will focus on infrastructure and LNG

According to the agreement, the center will serve as a hub for both public and private sector collaboration. Key priorities include:

Expanding natural gas development and US Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure
Securing regional energy transportation networks and bolstering power grid reliability
Facilitating scientific research, joint technology development, and workforce training

The decision to place the center in Houston, the energy capital of the US, is aimed at directly connecting Eastern Mediterranean policymakers with American industry leaders and engineering talent.

Strategic regional realignment

The partnership arrives as Europe and the Mediterranean continue to reshape their supply chains. With the US currently operating as the world’s leading oil and gas producer and largest LNG exporter, Washington views the Eastern Mediterranean as a critical geographic corridor for global energy stability.

“The Eastern Mediterranean is an increasingly important region for global energy development,” Secretary Wright said, noting that the Houston-based center will leverage “industry leaders in hydrocarbon development” to benefit all member nations.

Papastavrou described the occasion as a “historic moment,” saying that “Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States are joining forces to deepen our strategic cooperation and enhance connectivity in the Eastern Mediterranean through the establishment of the East Med Energy Center.”

He added that EMEC would provide a permanent platform for advancing regional stability, energy security, and economic cooperation by bringing together scientific expertise, academic excellence, the private sector, technological innovation, and energy know-how.

According to Papastavrou, the 3+1 scheme has demonstrated that reliable partners sharing a common strategic vision can deliver tangible results, advance shared interests, and contribute to a safer, more prosperous and affordable energy future. While the administrative details of the center’s funding and exact rollout schedule have not yet been disclosed, the declaration establishes the formal diplomatic and academic framework required to begin joint operations.

● European Council 12/06/2026 19:10 | Statements and remarks | Statement by President Costa and President von der Leyen on the agreement to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova

Press material

Friday, 12 June 2026

● European Council

12/06/2026 19:10 | Statements and remarks |

Statement by President Costa and President von der Leyen on the agreement to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova

Today, the European Union took a major step forward.

All member states agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova.

At the first Intergovernmental Conference on Monday, we will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process.

It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions.

This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges.

And a signal that the EU’s offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable.

Enlargement is a strategic choice.

By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across our continent.

In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest.

Enlargement remains one of the EU’s greatest success stories and our best investment in our shared future.

Cumhuriyet gazetesi - Barış Övgün - 12 Haziran 2026 - Adalet yütüyüşünden 'Yeni Osmanlı' yürüyüşüne

Olaylar Ve Görüşler

Son Köşe Yazıları

Adalet yürüyüşünden ‘Yeni Osmanlı’ yürüyüşüne... - Barış Övgün

12.06.2026 04:00

Güncellenme: 12.06.2026 04:00

“Yargı bağımsız değil, siyasallaştı” diye yol yürüyen CHP içinde bir grup, bugün “Yeni Osmanlıcılık” yürüyüşüne çıktıklarını ilan ediyorlar.

“NEREDEN NEREYE; KİMLER KİMLERLE...”

Utanıp sıkılmadan; düştükleri yolda eski yol arkadaşlarını FETÖ ilişkisiyle suçluyorlar, birçok ismi hırsızlık ve yolsuzlukla ve hatta kendi seçtiği delegeleri bile kirlilikle itham ediyorlar. Kamuoyuna ise yaşanan bu olayları “CHP içinde bir kavga” olarak lanse etmeye çalışıyorlar. Ama aslında herkes şunu çok iyi biliyor ki bu parti içi bir mücadele değil ve atanmışların çıktıkları yol, bir koltuk sevdası ya da bir intikam hırsıyla çıkılan bir yol değil.

‘KAMUOYU İKNA EDİLEMEDİ’

O yüzden “Bu yaşta bu ne hırs?” diye sormayın! Durum net, bize yaşattıkları parti içi bir mesele değil; bu mesele ülkenin meselesi. Bu yol, hırsızdan ya da yolsuzdan arınmak için çıkılan bir yol da değil. Öyle olsaydı kamuoyunun önüne çıkılır, somut belgeler ve kanıtlar ortaya konur ve böylece tüm Türkiye, adı geçenleri siyasi olarak silerdi. Ancak ortaya bir tane bile ne görüntü ne ses kaydı ne de para transferi belgesi konulamadı. Kamuoyu ikna edilemedi. Kamuoyu merak etti, araştırdı ama tatmin edilemedi. Belki böyle niyetleri de yoktu!

PM DE HÜKÜMSÜZ

Önceki gün yetkisiz MYK toplandı ve ilk ihraçlara başladı. Atanmışların parti sözcüsünün ifade ettiği gibi merkez yürütme kurulu değil; Merkez yönetim kurulu. Merkez yürütme kurulu, nerede mi var? Çok sevdikleri AKP’de. Nerede olduklarını bile bilmeyen ya da çok iyi bilip ifşa eden bir yönetim. Parti meclisinden (PM) yetki alamayan MYK sorunu varken, PM’de dün yaşanan 28 istifa ile PM üye sayısı 40’ın altına düştüğü için PM de hükümsüz kaldı. Ancak bu gelişmelere karşın atanmışlar, “Beş kişi kalsak bile toplanırız” diyorlar. Kısacası “Hukuk, tüzük bizi ilgilendirmez” diyorlar. Ne kadar tanıdık sözler değil mi? “Saygı da duymuyorum, uygulamıyorum.”

Benzer kafa yapısı, aynı anlayış...

HALKIN ÇAĞRISI NET

Peki, kimden arınılacak? Bu yetkiyi size, kim nerede verdi? Halkın böyle bir yetki verdiği seçim olmadı. Tam tersine halk, her yerde kurultay çağrısı yapıyor. Ama birilerini ve bir şeyleri partiden atmak gerekiyor. CHP’nin seçilmiş genel başkanı Özgür Özel ve arkadaşları hedefte. Ama asıl hedef isimlerin üzerinde.

İktidar arzusu olanlardan, değiştirmek isteyenlerden, demokrasiye ve adalete inananlardan, Cumhuriyet sevdalılarından, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’ün yolundan yürüyenlerden kurtulmak istiyorlar.

AMAÇ YENİ ANAYASA

Çünkü koyuldukları yol eski yol değil; yeni yol, bunu gerektiriyor. Hak, hukuk, adalet için yürümek amacı rafa kalkmış durumda. Bu nedenle amacı belli bir atanmış yönetimle karşı karşıyayız. Kayyım ve yönetimi bu amacı altında asla kurultay yapmayacak. Eğer amaç Kurultay olsaydı geçici bir kurul görevlendirilirdi. Bu nedenle kurultay ötelenecek, yeni bir delege yapısı oluşturulacak ve parti, bu koşullarda yönetilecek.

Asıl soru tam olarak bu bağlamda karşımıza çıkıyor: Neden? Yeni anayasa ve yeni ittifak arayışlarında, küçücük ortak olarak sürece dahil olmak. CHP, ısrarla masaya davet edildi, masada kendisine sunulan planlara destek olması istendi. Çünkü CHP’nin kurumsal olarak adı, toplumsal meşruiyet için çok gerekli ve çok değerli.

‘ANKARA’NIN ANLAMI

Bugüne kadar her an bu meşruiyet arandı ve bu meşruiyetin peşinde koşuldu. Mevcut yönetimden bu konuda desteğin alınamayacağı ve mevcut yönetiminin kırmızı çizgileri olduğu farklı süreçler ve sorularla anlaşıldı. “Gel, Ankara’da siyaset yap” dendi ama seçilmiş yönetim halka gitmeyi tercih etti. Seçilmiş yönetim “Seninle asla yeni bir anayasa yapmam. Sen önce mevcut anayasayı uygula” dediğinde iş anlaşılmış oldu. Şu an itibarıyla Ankara merkezli siyaset yapacak bir CHP var. Mahkeme kararıyla koltuğa oturan bir yönetimin topluma vereceği hiçbir şey yok ama “sürece” meşruiyet dahil vereceği çok şey var.

PROF. DR. BARIŞ ÖVGÜN

AKADEMİSYEN, SİYASET BİLİMCİ

CNN - June 12, 2026 - . Trump lashes out at Iran as two sides give conflicting details on agreement A US official said Tehran agreed to end nuclear program and support for proxies, contradicting Iranian media. Updated 11:54 AM EDT, Fri June 12, 2026Conflicting details: A diplomatic source told CNN the proposal would extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for talks on Iran’s nuclear program

Here's the latest

• Trump on Iran: President Donald Trump decried Tehran as “dishonorable” for what he said were inaccurate state media descriptions of a potential interim US-Iran agreement.

• Conflicting details: A diplomatic source told CNN the proposal would extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, a senior Trump official said the agreement includes provisions to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and end Tehran’s support of proxy groups, contradicting Iranian media.

• Where the sides stand: The diplomatic source said the two sides agreed on the text of the memorandum of understanding, but it has yet to receive final signoff. Iran’s foreign minister said an agreement “has never been closer.”

• Possible signing: Sources say a signing ceremony could be held in Geneva, Switzerland, as early as Sunday. US personnel are also planning for another round of peace talks this weekend, according to sources.

23 Posts

2 min ago

US and Iranian accounts of agreement conflict on major issues

Analysis by Abbas Al Lawati and Lauren Kent

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Thursday.

Stringer/Reuters

What we know about the emerging memo of understanding between the United States and Iran comes from three sources: a diplomat briefed on the negotiations, a Trump administration senior official and Iranian media outlets. CNN has not seen the text of the memo itself.

And the three accounts are deeply misaligned, leaving many questions unanswered about the potential agreement:

On the Strait of Hormuz: The US official said the strait would reopen. And the diplomat specified that Iran would not be allowed to charge transit fees, but did not say who would oversee maritime traffic. Iranian media outlets make no mention of fees – suggesting Tehran may have dropped that demand – but insist Hormuz would reopen under Iranian management, a condition Washington has repeatedly rejected.
On nuclear material: The Trump administration official said “Iran’s nuclear program will be dismantled” and nuclear material will be destroyed and removed. In sharp contrast, Iranian media says Iran won’t immediately undertake any new commitments and will only engage in nuclear talks during the 60-day negotiation period following the signing of the memo, “within the framework of its fundamental principles,” including what it calls its right to uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, the diplomat said the agreement “satisfies all US requirements on the nuclear issue,” including on Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
On frozen funds: Conspicuously absent from the diplomat’s account is Iran’s demand to unfreeze billions of dollars of its own funds currently under US sanctions. That issue was reportedly a major obstacle in negotiations over recent weeks. The senior US official told CNN that “none of Iran’s money (is) to be released until they perform.” But Iranian media outlets say the deal includes the release of $24 billion, with half made available immediately upon signing.
On war reparations: Iranian media has also highlighted a $300 billion reconstruction fund, portraying it as compensation for damage sustained during the war. The US official and the diplomat’s account makes no mention of such a provision.
On Israel and Lebanon: Despite neither Israel nor Hezbollah being directly involved in the negotiations, sources say the draft includes commitments affecting both parties, such as a ceasefire that includes Lebanon. The arrangement appears to rely on Washington and Tehran to secure compliance from their respective partners. Israel, however, has repeatedly said it will continue striking Hezbollah.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Mostafa Salem, Nadeen Ebrahim and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

11 min ago

US-Iran agreement "has never been closer," Iran's foreign minister says

By Sophia Saifi

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 22, 2025.

Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images

A memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington “has never been closer,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday, as he cautioned against speculation about the agreement.

Until the agreement is finalized, “the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content,” Araghchi wrote on X.

“In line with our responsible and transparent approach, all details will be shared with the public in due course,” he continued.

US President Donald Trump issued a stern rebuke of Tehran earlier Friday after what he said were inaccurate descriptions of the proposal appeared in Iranian state media.

Trump later posted a screenshot of Araghchi’s statement on Truth Social.

31 min ago

Trump admin official: Iran agreed to dismantle nuclear program and end proxy support to terrorist groups

By Kristen Holmes

The US-Iran agreement includes provisions to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and end Tehran’s funding of terrorist groups, according to a senior official in the Trump administration.

The official outlined the following terms, which they said Iran had agreed to:

Nuclear material will be destroyed and removed
Iran’s nuclear program will be dismantled
None of Iran’s money to be released until they perform
Strait of Hormuz will be open
No Iran funding of terrorist groups

The official called this “a performance-based deal.” Iranian officials have previously said they would not sign on to an agreement without the release of funds and repeatedly refused to engage on the funding of terrorist groups.

And Vice President JD Vance, calling out what he said is “fake about information a potential deal,” said economic benefits will only flow to Iran if it “meets its obligations.”

“First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting,” he wrote on X.

“The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies concerns are prioritized, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region,” he added.

Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump decried Tehran as “dishonorable” for what he said were inaccurate descriptions of the proposal in the media.

CNN previously reported that the interim deal between the US and Iran would extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for more talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a diplomat briefed on the matter.

Iranian state media outlets had reported that Iran would not commit to ceding management of the strait and that the agreement would demand the release of $24 billion of Iran’s frozen funds.

“The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

34 min ago

Israel will not withdraw from Lebanon, defense minister says, amid potential US-Iran deal

By Oren Liebermann

Defense Minister Israel Katz

Israel's Ministry of Defence

Israel will not withdraw from the territories it occupies in Lebanon, Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Friday, amid a potential US-Iran ceasefire agreement.

Iranian media reported earlier in the day that the agreement under negotiation includes an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. A Trump administration official made no mention of a ceasefire in Lebanon in a conflicting statement on what’s included in the deal.

Katz said the US and Israel have a “shared interest” in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. “We expect him to uphold this principle, along with additional principles concerning missiles and proxy terror organizations,” the defense minister said.

1 hr 33 min ago

US shot down two Iranian attack drones last night, defense official says

By Kaanita Iyer and Lauren Kent

The US military shot down two Iranian attack drones that were targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz last night, according to a US defense official, which comes as President Doland Trump publicly criticized Iran for continued targeting of ships.

“Iran attempted to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz last night. US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones,” the defense official told CNN. “Traffic flow through the Strait continues.”

For context: US President Donald Trump said he was canceling the strikes against Iran Thursday night that he’d previewed hours earlier because “final points” of a deal with the country had been approved. On Friday morning, Trump decried Tehran as “dishonorable” for what he said were inaccurate descriptions of the proposal.

Trump also said in a social media post that Iran’s continued targeting of ships in the strait was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”

2 hr 7 min ago

Trump lashes out at Iran after terms of deal appear in state media

By Kevin Liptak

US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday.

Daniel Heuer/Reuters

A day after declaring that an agreement with Iran was all but finalized, President Donald Trump decried Tehran as “dishonorable” for what he said were inaccurate descriptions of the proposal.

“The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth,” he went on. “Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith.”

Iranian state media outlets reported earlier Friday on the contours of the deal, including that Iran would not commit to ceding management of the Strait of Hormuz and that the agreement would demand the release of $24 billion of Iran’s frozen funds.

Trump, in his message, said Iran’s continued targeting of ships in the strait was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”

“They better get their act together, and FAST!” he said.

54 min ago