Turkey announces plan to send drill ships to Cyprus
‘Tensions flare’ as Turkish president moves to stop Greek Cypriots exploiting natural gas reserves
Turkey’s president has announced that the country will send a ship to Cyprus to begin exploratory gas drilling, just days after ExxonMobil, a US energy company, sent its own survey vessels to the region.
“As tensions flare” over the resources from the ethnically divided island, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said he “will not tolerate” reserves being used by Greek Cypriots while his country is involved with other military conflicts, The Guardian reports.
“Hopefully it has been instructive for some who saw an opportunity to act unilaterally when Turkey is engaged in anti-terrorism operations elsewhere,” Erdogan said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He said the self-proclaimed Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus should have a right to the island’s natural resources adding that the areas designated for drilling fall under Ankara’s maritime jurisdiction.
Turkish warships were ordered to stop any drilling attempts made by ENI, an Italian energy company that had been commissioned by Cyprus’s government – in what was considered “a brazen act of brinkmanship”.
Erdogan said the Turkish warships that tried to prevent the ship from drilling “served as a lesson to some”, the Associated Press reports.
“Optimism had mounted over the east Mediterranean’s potential as a gas-producing hub after geological surveys pointed to vast reserves around Cyprus,” says The Guardian. The resources have the potential to decrease Europe’s – and Turkey’s – energy dependence on Russia.
Four foreign energy firms have so far been licensed to survey for oil and gas in areas off Cyprus’ southern coast.
Cypriot government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said their strategy “is to keep calm and go on.
“We cannot accept Turkey interfering and creating problems in what, as underlined by the EU, is a sovereign right to exploit our natural wealth.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published