Erdogan tells Cyprus not to test Turkey over gas standoff

A1.ARA - Turkish 3resident Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned Cyprus not to “overstep the mark´ in the eastern 0editerranean, after *reek Cypriots accused the Turkish military of obstructing a vessel e[ploring for natural gas over the weekend. Turkey, which does not have diplomatic ties with Cyprus, says some areas of Cyprus’s offshore maritime zone fall under the jurisdiction of Turkey or Turkish Cypriots, underscoring tensions in the broader eastern 0editerranean over competing claims for offshore resources.

“Our warships and security units are following all developments in the region with the instruction to do whatever is necessary,´ Erdogan told members of his ruling A. 3arty in parliament.

“:e warn those who overstep the mark in Cyprus and the Aegean,´ he said. “They are standing up to us until they see our army, ships and planes,´ he said, comparing the situation in the Aegean Sea and Cyprus with the Syrian region of Afrin where Turkey is waging an offensive against the .urdish <3* militia.

*reek Cypriots run Cyprus’s internationally recognized government, while Turkish Cypriots have a breakaway state in the north - recognized only by Ankara - and say resources around the island belong to them too. The area where the Saipem 200 drill ship was headed, Block 3 of Cyprus’s economic zone, is also claimed by Turkish Cypriots. Turkey’s state-owned oil company also plans to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, ethnically partitioned between its *reek and Turkish Cypriot communities. Saipem is contracted by ,taly’s state-controlled Eni, whose officials have confirmed the drill ship was stopped by Turkish ships on Friday afternoon because of a military e[ercise in the area.

Cyprus has seemed keen to downplay the standoff, which appears to be the worst escalation of simmering tensions since the island struck a small Tuantity of natural gas in 20 .

Eni and France’s Total, partners in a Cyprus venture, announced last week finding a promising gas field off Cyprus. They said the find looked geologically similar to the Zohr field off Egypt, which holds an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of gas, the largest field ever found in the 0editerranean.

Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in after a brief *reek-inspired coup. 3eace talks collapsed last year.

(The

Guardian)