Free Republic

As regional powers attempt to rise, other regional powers will react. This is particularly true in this era of globalization. Turkey is now riding a learning curve. Here is how the latest is unfolding. Turkey warned Thursday it will declare a border on the continental shelf if the island of Cyprus proceeds with offshore oil and gas drilling activities. The Foreign Ministry's announcement came a day after Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias announced that U.S. firm Noble Energy will soon begin exploratory drilling to confirm deposits beneath the sea bed off Cyprus' southern coast despite Turkey's attempts to prevent such a...

Russian officials say the country plans to reimburse Iran, after Moscow canceled the sale of an air defense missile system to Tehran... In the scope of a US$800 million contract brokered in 2005, Russia was obliged to send Iran at least five S-300 missile systems. But last month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev banned the sale of the missile systems following United Nations sanctions against such arms sales. The UN imposed the sanctions in June for Iran's refusal to stop enriching uranium. Medvedev also outlawed the sale of tanks, aircraft and sea vessels to Iran... The news comes on the heels...