Athens defies MGK warning on Greek Cyprus

The response to a statement by Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) describing the Greek Cypriot government as an "element of instability" came on Thursday, not from the southern part of the divided island but from the Greek capital via a statement by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

A statement was released by the MGK following a meeting on Wednesday that also served as a warning for the Greek Cypriot administration, which launched an international licensing round for offshore exploration of oil and gas in February in spite of opposition from Turkey.

The MGK statement warned the move could stoke tensions in the region, chiding the Greek Cypriot administration for acting as an "element of instability" while also noting that its attempts to take steps on behalf of the entire island were "invalid."


Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson George Koumoutsakos' response to the statement came in the form of an answer to a journalist's question regarding the statement which was aired on the ministry's Web page on Thursday.

"The fundamental factor for stability in our wider region is the European Union, of which the Republic of Cyprus is a member state, exercising its sovereignty and sovereign rights with full respect for international law," Koumoutsakos said.

Ankara opposes agreements that the Greek Cypriot administration has signed with Lebanon and Egypt over maritime borders to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Some estimates suggest that the seas around Cyprus could contain unproven reserves of between 6 and 8 billion barrels of oil with an estimated value of $385 billion.