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Cyrus Accuses Turkey of Naval 'Provocations'

Cypriot officials claim a Turkish warship on two separate occasions this month approached a pair of chartered Norwegian survey ships off southern Cyprus and ordered them to leave the area

Cyrus Accuses Turkey of Naval 'Provocations'

Cyprus' president accused Turkey on Tuesday of naval "provocations" over the island's offshore oil-and-gas exploration bid.

Cypriot officials claim a Turkish warship on two separate occasions this month approached a pair of chartered Norwegian survey ships off southern Cyprus and ordered them to leave the area.

President Dimitris Christofias said his government will lodge protests with the United Nations and the European Union.

"We will defend the Cyprus Republic's sovereign rights with determination," Christofias said, shortly before a new round of peace talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

But Christofias said the alleged harassment would not harm the U.N.-supervised peace talks since Talat "has no authority or power" over Turkish naval actions.

Cyprus has been divided between a Greek Cypriot south — whose government is recognized internationally — and a Turkish-occupied north since 1974, when Turkey invaded in response to a failed Athens-backed coup of supporters of union with Greece.

Greek Cypriots began searching for oil and gas off southern Cyprus several years ago. The island has signed agreements with Lebanon and Egypt to mark the undersea boundaries for oil exploration. Cyprus also wants to auction drilling rights.

But Greek Cypriots have not tried to explore the waters off northern Cyprus, which are controlled by Turkey. Ankara has said it objects to Cyprus' offshore oil search anywhere in the area, where it says it also has legal rights and interests.

Turkey also insists that Turkish Cypriots should have a say in the entire island's oil-and-gas rights.

On Tuesday, Cyprus government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the alleged "provocations" by Turkey's navy occurred off the Mediterranean island's southern coast on Monday and Nov. 13.

Cyprus contracted the Norwegian ships to search for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the seabed inside the island's 70,000-square-kilometer (27,000-square-mile) exclusive economic zone.

Christofias and Talat restarted reunification talks in September after a four-year stalemate. U.N. Envoy Alexander Downer has said the talks will continue well into 2009.

Author: Jo Amey


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