Tensions rise as Turkey threatens tit-for-tat drill off Cyprus

Nicosia pledges to stick to energy search with the arrival of ExxonMobil in the autumn

Turkey has upped the ante over the island’s natural gas search after declaring it will start drilling off Cyprus if companies such as US giant ExxonMobil plan to go ahead with licensed exploration in the island’s EEZ.

Ankara is opposed to Nicosia’s energy search in the East Mediterranean and is ready to play regional brinkmanship with tension-rising rhetoric.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu issued a clear message on Cyprus’ energy search saying: “We also have our platforms and we will start drilling, if they start in the autumn, we will also start”.

This could be viewed as a ExxonMobil from conducting Cyprus later in the year.

Cavusoglu told Turkey’s Sabbah daily on Tuesday: “We prevented ENI. In the last three years, we have told the Italians and ENI ‘do not enter this business, we will not allow this if the rights of the Turkish side are not guaranteed’.”

He added: “Of course, it is not right to continuously place obstacles. If the Greek Cypriot side takes unilateral steps, then this time we will also start drilling there”.

He suggested Ankara is taking a much tougher stance on the energy issue in order, as Turkey argues, to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots.

“We have also said that from now on our stance will be different on the hydrocarbons issue. We will not let them (Greek Cypriots) seize the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people.”

The comments came two days after Nicosia said it is doing everything necessary to ensure that US energy colossus, ExxonMobil’s planned search for oil and gas off Cyprus runs smoothly despite Turkish threats. veiled threat to discourage scheduled exploration off

Energy Minister George Lakkotrypis on Sunday said developments in UN-backed Cyprus talks should not affect the government’s energy programme in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

ExxonMobil, with Qatar Petroleum, which has an exploration license for block 10, will conduct two exploratory drills towards the end of the year, Lakkotrypis told reporters.

“The procedures for ExxonMobil to obtain the necessary permits are proceeding as planned and two drill wells will be carried out in the last three months,” Lakkotrypis said, without elaborating on what those permits were.

“What’s important is that we progress according to our timeframe and planning,” he added.

An ExxonMobil drillship is expected to arrive off Cyprus in September.

Asked about reports in daily Phileleftheros that US planes will discreetly monitor the drilling activity, Lakkotrypis didn’t deny it, but said: “We take all necessary measures so that the two drills will developments.”

He added: “That is why you see that we are diplomatically more active as the time for these drills gets closer.”

In February, Turkish warships blocked a drillship commissioned by Italian energy company ENI, from drilling in block 3 of Cyprus’ EEZ. After a stand-off lasting a few weeks, the drillship was forced to abandon the mission in March.

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