Turkey threatened Thursday to sign a continental shelf delimitation agreement with northern Cyprus if the Greeks of the island move ahead with gas exploration plans, the foreign ministry said.
The announcement came after a technical meeting at the Turkish foreign ministry with a delegation from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Ankara.
“As a result of the meeting, it has been agreed that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will conclude a continental shelf delimitation agreement if the Greek Cypriot administration proceeds with offshore drilling activities in the south of the island,” the ministry said in a written statement.
Such an agreement would designate in which parts of the eastern Mediterranean Turkey and northern Cyprus could do drilling, Turkish diplomatic sources told AFP.
Officials from the Turkish energy and foreign ministries will hold further meetings in northern Cyprus on Friday, said the ministry statement.
The Turkish delegation will also include officials from the Turkish Petroleum Corp., it added.
Turkey has repeatedly called on the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus to postpone its gas exploration plans, saying the Greek Cypriot government has no right to do so while the island remains divided, thus leaving Turkish Cypriots out of the picture.
(source: Dow Jones, AFP)
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