By George Psyllides
SCHEDULED DRILLING in the island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will continue despite Turkey’s provocations, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Saturday, as he reiterated that any proceeds belonged to all Cypriots.
“ENI’s scheduled drilling will continue, whatever the provocations,” the minister said. “We have repeatedly said that proceeds from natural gas – not expected before the end of the decade, belong proportionately to all Cypriots.”
The minister added that Turkey’s provocative actions send the message that “it does not want or does not believe the Cyprus problem will be solved until then.”
Kasoulides also announced he was flying to Greece on Monday to coordinate the further action.
He also urged Cypriot political parties to put their own agendas aside and join the government in a unified front to tackle the Turkish actions.
Citing the rights of Turkish Cypriots, Turkey reserved a large section of sea in Cyprus’ EEZ for seismic studies – cutting through five blocks, including block 9 where Italian-South Korean consortium ENI-KOGAS is currently drilling for gas, and has also sent warships to monitor the situation.
The action prompted President Nicos Anastasiades to suspend direct negotiations in the reunification process.
The events had been criticised by the international community but Cypriot parties, as they often do, either jumped the gun in commenting, or interpreted statements as they saw fit.
“Instead of holding on to the fact that everyone recognises the right of the Republic to carry out exploration and to subsequently exploit the hydrocarbons in its EEZ, and calls to those who clearly cause them to avoid provocations, we attempt to rate them accordingly and give different interpretations for the sake of political expediency,” Kasoulides said.
The haste to either note or explain someone’s silence is characteristic, he said.
“The opposition rushed to blame Russia’s ‘silence’ on our supposed one-sided policy and the same day Moscow not only issued a statement but officially informed us about a stern demarche to Ankara,” Kasoulides said.
The statement was welcomed by AKEL, which then criticised the absence of an EU reaction.
Yet, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy’s supportive statement was announced on the same news bulletin, the minister said.
“International disapproval has been recorded. Diplomatic efforts will continue. Is it enough to stop Turkey? Possibly yes, possibly no,” Kasoulides said, suggesting that circumstances shifted all the time.
He cited the example of US Vice President John Biden who had to apologise to Turkey after comments he made last week regarding Turkey’s role in the spread of ISIS.
Biden had said, “President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan told me, he’s an old friend, said, ‘You were right. We let too many people (including foreign fighters) through.’ Now they are trying to seal their border,” he said, according to transcripts.
Kasoulides said Anastasiades had suspended his participation in the talks as long as “threats, blackmail, and show of force were taking place because the principle of the negotiations is to conduct them on an equal footing.”
“Full responsibility lies with Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership on whose behalf Turkey is supposedly acting.”
