Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday that Turkey must respect Cyprus's right to explore for natural gas and avoid sparking unnecessary tension in the region. Avigdor Lieberman said each country must respect the sovereign rights of their neighbour, adding that it was "extremely unnecessary" for Turkey to cause friction in a region already mired in conflict.
"We respect the integrity of Cyprus. We're sure that you have your exclusive rights to explore in your economic zone of the gas and oil reserves," he told reporters after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides. With Israel finding large reserves of gas close to where Cyprus is drilling, the two countries are looking to cooperate on energy issues such as exporting Israeli gas. Since October 20, a Turkish survey vessel has encroached Cyprus's exclusive economic zone off the island's southern coast, according to Nicosia.
Ankara had issued a notice that a Turkish seismic vessel would carry out a survey from mid-October to December 30 in the same area where the Italian-Korean energy consortium ENI-Kogas is operating. Cyprus is unhappy that Turkey is determined to search for oil and gas in the same region where Nicosia has already licensed exploratory drills in an exclusive economic zone. Turkish troops invaded and occupied the northern third of Cyprus in 1974 in response to an Athens-engineered coup aimed at uniting it with Greece.
Ankara opposes the Cypriot government's exploitation of offshore energy reserves before a deal is reached to solve the decades-long division of the east Mediterranean island.
Last month Cyprus suspended its participation in UN-led peace talks launched in February. Despite the United Nations calling on both sides to return to the negotiating table, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades said he will not resume peace talks under "Turkish blackmail".
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