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ANKARA, Dec. 6-- The maritime boundaries deal sealed between Turkey and the internationally recognized government in Libya has angered regional neighbors, inflaming tensions in eastern Mediterranean over energy resources. The agreement, inked in Istanbul on Nov. 27 to delimit and especially extend maritime zones for Turkish energy explorations, is an attempt to block further Greek and Cypriot energy drilling activities in the Mediterranean, a move hailed as a "historic step" by the Turkish press and experts. However, it has received condemnation from Greece and its Cypriot ally, which would likely add to a long list of tensions between Ankara and its NATO allies as the bloc celebrates its 70th anniversary. The controversial issue has been brought to the attention of NATO nations' leaders during a summit on Wednesday in London, according to sources. The area spanning from southwest Turkey to northeast Libya cuts across a zone currently claimed by Greece and Cyprus, where plans for a future gas pipeline are in the works to link European markets to eastern Mediterranean gas fields. The deal follows the imposition of European Union (EU) economic sanctions against Ankara a month ago to punish it for drilling near the coast of Cyprus. "This agreement with Libya is seen as a game changer by Turkish authorities. It is considered to be a historic one," Turkish political commentator Serkan Demirtas told Xinhua. | 
