Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser of UAE’s President, attend a joint news conference in Paphos, Cyprus April 16, 2021. Iakovos Hatzistavrou/Pool via REUTERS

i24 News – Washington no longer supports the proposed EastMed gas pipeline from Israel to Europe, according to a Jerusalem diplomatic source.

The Biden administration reportedly informed Israeli, Greek, and Cypriot officials in recent weeks of its change in attitude.

“I believe this is related to Turkish domestic politics. The United States is showing that it is attributing huge significance to Turkey,” Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on Turkey at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told i24NEWS.

Turkey urges that it should be part of the pipeline project amid claims over natural gas in the east Mediterranean.

“This is an open-check for the next potential government in Turkey which may replace [President Tayyip Erdogan] in 2023, which means the US is… calculating the next steps which they will have to deal with in the day after Erodgan.”

In January 2020, the EastMed Pipeline accord was signed by leaders of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus.

If approved, the underwater pipeline would stretch across the Mediterranean Sea, directly connecting east Mediterranean energy resources – Israel – to Greece and other European regions via Cyprus.

Construction of the pipeline is estimated to cost some $6.86 billion and is expected to be completed by 2025.

Despite previous support and being of top importance to the European Union, Washington retracted its backing due to environmental concerns as well as possible problems with financial viability.

“We all know that this project would be very expensive, and … it’s not as climate-change friendly as it should be,” Yanarocak said.