Turkey opposition to Greek Cyprus gas exploration harms peace talks: Minister

[tesla]

Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides speaks to the media on Oct. 6. AP Photo

Greek Cyprus has said peace talks for the ethnically divided island could suffer if Turkey kept on opposing attempts by Nicosia to explore for gas off its southern coast.

The Greek Cypriot government has licensed multinationals to explore for hydrocarbons in the area and Italy’s ENI currently has a platform drill at one site.

Turkey has expressed its concern over Greek Cyprus’ “one-sided” off-shore hydrocarbon searches, after the Turkish government of northern Cyprus announced that a new ship had begun unilateral exploration in its “so-called exclusive economic zone.”

Greek Cypriot officials said Ankara had issued a maritime advisory that a Turkish seismic vessel would be carrying out work in the same area as ENI’s platform from Oct. 20.

Turkey, which backs a breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave in northern Cyprus, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the Nicosia government in the exploration area.

“We consider this development particularly serious,” Greek Cypriot foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides told a news conference in Nicosia.

Northern Cyprus had announced on Oct. 3 that a Bahama-registered ship, SAIPEM 10000, began hydrocarbon exploration in Block 9, in an area southeast of the island that Greek Cypriots have declared an exclusive economic zone unilaterally.

The area where ENI is carrying out the drill falls within Greek Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone, an area internationally recognized, except by Turkey, as being Cypriot waters, he said.

Greek Cyprus, a member of the European Union, has become particularly keen to develop offshore gas reserves as a potential source of revenue since it was compelled to seek an international financial bailout in early 2013.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has previously said challenges to the gas drills could trigger an interruption in the peace talks for the island.

Kasoulides said diplomatic and legal responses were being considered, but he declined to give details.
Inconclusive peace talks to unify divided island have been held intermittently over the decades and a new round of consultations started in February 2014.

Asked if there was a risk of the peace talks being derailed, Kasoulides said: “What I can say is that for talks to yield results they cannot be conducted under such provocative circumstances.”

Kasoulides stressed that the Greek Cypriots were committed to seeing the talks progress.

A U.S. company, Noble, found an estimated 5 trillion cubic meters of gas south of Cyprus in late 2011, straddling a median line with Israel where major discoveries have been made in the past decade.

France’s Total has also signed a concession to drill for gas with Cyprus.

Greek Cypriots say any hydrocarbon wealth discovered will be shared with the Turkish Cypriots in the event of a peace deal.
October/06/2014

Turkey opposition to Greek Cyprus gas exploration harms peace talks: Minister - INTERNATIONAL

 

[-SINAN-]

They just can't understand with words. We must show muscles and bully to make a understanding.

 

[T-123456]

Turkey, which backs a breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave in northern Cyprus, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the Nicosia government in the exploration area.

Enclave?
Do they know the meaning of the word Enclave?
Enclave,definition;a portion of territory surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct.

 

[As is - where is]

This is block 9 we're talking about. Cyprus has given ENI the rights to explore the block for gas and oil because it rests within its exclusive economic zone but Turkey argues against it since it would fall within the exclusive economic zone of Northern Cyprus. That's where the dispute arises since Cyprus (and for the record, pretty much nobody besides Turkey) recognizes Northern Cyprus as a sovereign nation but instead sees it as territory captured by the Turkish army.

Cyprus suspends peace talks with Turkey

Cyprus's president has suspended talks on reunifying the ethnically divided island in response to Turkey's plans to search for oil and gas in waters where the Cypriot government has already licensed companies to drill.
Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said Tuesday's decision was the result of what he called Turkey's "provocative" and "aggressive" actions that violate Cyprus' sovereign rights and international law.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades made the decision after consulting with party leaders. Christodoulides didn't say when peace talks might resume, adding that any decision would be made according to developments.
Turkey had said it would search for oil and gas off Cyprus's south coast where a drilling consortium, made up of Italy's Eni and South Korea's Kogas, is now drilling.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_07/10/2014_543518