By George Psyllides
Turkey resuming seismic surveys inside the island’s exclusive economic zone would be a negative development as regards its intentions on the Cyprus problem, the government said on Friday, as it adopted a wait-and-see policy over the matter.
Government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides was commenting on Turkish Cypriot media reports that Turkey was planning to resume seismic surveys off the island’s southern coast if companies licensed by the Republic carried out hydrocarbon exploration.
The spokesman said the two matters were not linked.
“There is absolutely no relation between the two,” Christodoulides said.
surveys carried out between October 20 and December 30 by research vessel Barbaros, now anchored off the occupied port of Famagusta, prompted President Nicos Anastasiades to pull out of reunification talks.
The government has said the withdrawal of the Barbaros from the EEZ was only one of two preconditions for the resumption of negotiations.
The other would be a “tangible demonstration” on Turkey’s part that it respects Cyprus’ sovereignty.
If the report is true it would be a negative development, especially in relation with Turkey’s real intentions in the Cyprus problem, the spokesman said.
“We must wait and see how things develop; it is clearly up to Turkey whether the dialogue would restart,” Christodoulides said. “We hope that logic prevails and Turkey realised where its interests lie.”
A drillship belonging to Italian-Korean consortium ENI-KOGAS was expected to start drilling soon in Amathusa, a site located inside block 9 of Cyprus EEZ.
The Amathusa prospect is located some 55 kilometers from the Onasagoras well, where recent exploratory drilling did not yield commercially exploitable reserves of natural gas.
The Onasagoras drill is what prompted the deployment of Barbaros by Turkey, which claims it is protecting the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Turkey and the north’s breakaway regime oppose the “unilateral” move by Greek Cypriots to prospect for hydrocarbons, saying both communities should equitably share in the island’s natural resources.
Greek Cypriots say both communities will reap the benefits when the island is reunited.
United Nations Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide has said that the hydrocarbon reserves off the coast of Cyprus were connected to the Cyprus problem and this connection could not be broken.
In an interview local media, Eide said it was a strong argument for everyone to double their efforts to reach a solution.
Christodoulides said the connection is “that it constitutes a powerful incentive for Turkish Cypriots and Turkey to go ahead with a solution.”
“This is the link to us, and we hope Turkey will also approach it this way so that it finally works towards a solution.”
Eide’s comment was criticised by political parties.
