Turkey to resume gas drilling near Cyprus: senior official

0

ISTANBUL (AFP) – Turkey will resume drilling operations near the divided island of Cyprus next month, a senior official said on Wednesday (July 20th).

This decision threatens to trigger a new diplomatic row with the EU.

The European Union came close to sanctioning Ankara in 2020 for pushing into disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean in search of fresh natural gas reserves.

Turkey had been drilling near waters claimed by historic rival Greece and the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) – recognized only by Ankara.

The 2020 crisis was mitigated when Turkey withdrew a research vessel from the resource-rich region and halted drilling operations near the island.

But Vice President Fuat Oktay said during a visit to TRNC – coinciding with the small breakaway state’s National Day – that Turkey would resume drilling off the island next month.

“The hydrocarbon resources of the Mediterranean are not the playthings of the Greek Cypriots,” Oktay was quoted by NTV television as saying.

“Our drilling vessel Abdulhamid Han plans to begin operations in the Mediterranean next month.”

Oktay’s comments come as tensions between Turkey and Greece are already skyrocketing.

Greece accuses Turkey of staging hundreds of illegal military sorties over its Aegean island chain.

Turkey accuses Greece of secretly setting up military bases on the islands in violation of international agreements.

The waters around the island of Cyprus – its internationally recognized southern two-thirds – are being drilled by global energy majors and regional powers looking for ways to diversify their gas supplies away from Russia.

Share.

Comments are closed.