Turkey complains to UN over Greek Cyprus oil bid

Ankara has stepped up its efforts toward the international community as the deadline for offshore oil and gas exploration licensing in the waters around divided Cyprus, launched by the Greek Cypriot administration on behalf of the whole island, rapidly approaches.

Ambassador Baki İlkin Turkey’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Baki İlkin, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last Thursday, diplomatic sources told Today’s Zaman on yesterday.

“Ambassador İlkin drew Mr. Secretary-General’s attention to the fact that the Greek Cypriot administration claims to be representing the entire island through it’s insistence on moving ahead with this tender, despite all warnings by the Turkish Cypriot side as well as from Ankara,” diplomatic sources, speaking under condition of anonymity, said.

The present Greek Cypriot licensing round involves major oil companies purchasing seismic data and two-dimensional templates of the Mediterranean seabed. The date for application submissions has been postponed by one month, from July 16 to August 16.

Greek Cyprus signed accords with Egypt in 2005 and with Lebanon this year, delineating the sea boundaries between them and the limits of its continental shelf. At present, two exploration blocks on the Lebanon side are not included in the licensing round.

Nevertheless, Ankara opposes both agreements since according to international law, the sea boundaries between the countries and the limits of the continental shelf of each country need to be delineated via a consensus among all coastal and neighboring countries when the issue is a semi-closed sea like the East Mediterranean.

“Greek Cyprus is trying to create ‘fait accompli’ in the region,” İlkin said in his letter while stressing, “Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the East Mediterranean.”

The issue was subject to a statement by the influential National Security Council (MGK) earlier this summer. Late in June, describing the Greek Cypriot government as an “element of instability” in the region, the MGK warned that the Greek Cypriots’ unilateral move concerning the region could stoke tensions in the region. The MGK also noted than that its attempts to take steps on behalf of the entire island were “invalid.”

At the time, the response to the MGK statement came from the Greek capital via a statement by a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

“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,” Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson George Koumoutsakos said.