Eurotopics.net

A Turkish ship has been drilling for gas in Cypriot waters since Friday. Cyprus has issued an international arrest warrant against the ship's crew, and the EU, the US and Israel have also criticised the operation. The gas reserves discovered off the Cypriot coast in 2011 are fuelling tensions between Ankara and Nicosia. Cypriot commentators voice their concern.

In the local elections in Britain last week the two major parties, the Tories and Labour, suffered considerable losses. By contrast the Liberal Democrats, who are against Brexit, made impressive gains. Prime Minister Theresa May interpreted the results as a call to the major parties to get on with Brexit. A number of commentators take a different view.

France's Interior Minister Christophe Castaner is being accused of spreading false information. He was forced to revoke his accusation that demonstrators on May 1 had attacked a hospital after video footage emerged showing that the demonstrators in question had ran into the hospital to escape riot police. Commentators are outraged, but also point to weak points in the criticism of Castaner.

The AKP has asked Turkey's Supreme Election Council (YSK) to repeat the mayoral election in Istanbul. The council had previously rejected the AKP's request for a full recount of the votes. Erdoğan's party narrowly lost the election at the end of March to the candidate put forward by the CHP, and has accused the latter of election fraud. The debate in the media is as fierce as ever.

In a failed attempted coup last week against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a number of soldiers joined forces with the self-appointed interim president Juan Guaidó. The army's leadership, however, remained loyal to Maduro. Commentators discuss why the opposition hasn't been able to win the protracted power struggle despite popular support.

US President Donald Trump welcomed Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in Washington on the weekend. He praised Pellegrini for his country's efforts to defend itself and its plans to purchase US weapons. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is also due to meet Trump. Are weapons deals the key to the White House?