Reuters — Turkey will take measures against Greek Cypriot exploration for oil or gas around Cyprus, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Thursday, adding that Turkish Cypriots had rights on those reserves.
Turkey’s energy and foreign ministries are working together to plan steps against the Greek side’s “unilateral” steps, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, adding that sending a drilling vessel showed Greek side’s “insincerity” about reunification talks that failed last week.
The ‘West Capella’ drilling vessel contracted by France’s Total and Italy’s ENI moved into position to start exploring for gas off Cyprus on Wednesday, the island’s energy ministry said.
Turkey has sent the frigate TCG Gökçeadaa to monitor the West Capella, the Turkish naval command said in a statement on Thursday.
Two French-flagged frigates are currently docked at Larnaca Port – although the French government claims that they are on the island as part of peacekeeping missions for Lebanon.
US aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is also sailing near the drilling area at a relatively close distance from the rig possibly on mission relating to the war in Syria.
The US government has defended the right of EU member Cyprus to proceed with the drilling while the European Commission has reiterated that Ankara should refrain from making threats against EU member states.
