‘WE’LL SINK TOGETHER’
TURKISH warships “forced” a drillship sent by energy company Eni to search for offshore gas and oil on behalf of the Greek Cypriots to turn back, it was claimed yesterday, after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay reportedly held secret talks with one of its most senior executives in Italy — denied by Eni.
It also emerged that the Saipem 12000 drillship had also been on a collision course with the Turkish Navy in an earlier incident, with an Italian captain reportedly “screaming, ‘If you don’t get out of the way, we will sink together’” during a heated radio exchange.
Yesterday’s latest confrontation came as North Cyprus’s political leaders vowed not to “abandon” Turkish Cypriot rights on the issue.
As tensions simmered, the Saipem 12000 appeared to be heading away from waters to the south-east of the island, where it had been in position for the last two weeks, about 30 miles from its drilling target. The ship had been on its way to drill in “block three” of the Greek Cypriot side’s self-declared “exclusive economic zone” — an area the TRNC also lays claim to — when the stand-off began.
The captain of the ship reportedly made a new attempt to travel to its target yesterday, but was “intercepted by five Turkish warships”, Greek Cypriot deputy government spokesman Victoras Papadopoulos said.
“After the threat of use of force and the threat of conflict, despite the captain’s courageous and laudable efforts, unfortunately the drillship was forced to return,” Mr Papadopoulos said.
On Wednesday Turkey extended an existing “Navtex” — a navigational warning to other ships in the area — until March 10, citing military operations.
Eni chief Claudio Descalzi said on Thursday the planned drilling would be “put on hold” to “give diplomacy a chance to work”.
The Navtex renewal came as it was reported by Turkey’s NTV on Thursday that Dr Özersay had flown out to Italy earlier this week to hold emergency talks with Eni vice-president Lapo Pistelli, after Ankara had told Rome to deal directly with the TRNC over the crisis.
“Eni . . . understands that it cannot conduct drilling in hydrocarbon beds surrounding Cyprus without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side, which has equal ownership rights with the Greek Cypriots,” Dr Özersay was quoted as saying.
“The company is also afraid of becoming liable for compensation. We were very close to a compromise in our meeting in Italy, however the Greek Cypriots told us, via the Italians, that they were against an agreement so Turkey extended the Navtex.”
An Eni spokesman insisted to Cyprus Today last night, however, that “no meeting occurred” between the company and Dr Özersay, after the report caused a stir in South Cyprus media.
Dr Özersay declined to comment publicly on details of the meeting, simply saying that he had met with
“respective interlocutors”.
In comments to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, he accused the Greek Cypriot side of deciding how to share any spoils with the Turkish Cypriots “without ascertaining our will”, after Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades said on Wednesday that any revenues would be deposited in a “sovereign fund” for “all Cypriots”.
“They have to show us that they are ready to share governance with us; and the same for the island’s wealth. Are they really prepared? This is actually a test,” he said.
On Thursday Mr Anastasiades held a meeting with European Council head Donald Tusk to discuss the “situation in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone” ahead of a meeting today of EU member states in Brussels. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades were reportedly to address members of the bloc last night, to claim their “sovereignty” had been infringed.
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak said at an event on Thursday that Turkey would “not allow unilateral drilling” to take place. Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman said a joint committee between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriots should be formed to decide on the best way to administer any future natural gas revenues.
He said Turkish Cypriot “intervention” had begun and would continue, commenting: “Nothing can justify the lack of Turkish Cypriot . . . participation in this process.” President Mustafa Akıncı, receiving Turkish business leaders, said there needed to be a “dawning of a new understanding” among Greek Cypriots “towards sharing authority, power and natural resources with the Turkish Cypriot side”.
“We are determined not to abandon our rights,” he said.
OUTGOING Greek Cypriot foreign minister Ioannis Cassoulides on Wednesday likened the UN to Pontius Pilate, and hinted at possible fallout when it comes to relations with Britain over their tepid responses to Turkey’s blockade within the island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Using unusually strong wording in an interview with [South] Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Mr Cassoulides expressed great disappointment with the stance adopted by the UN considering the whole issue concerned the provisions of the international law of the sea.
He was also critical of a reply the British Minister for Europe had given to the House of Commons on the issue, describing that response as “totally unacceptable”.
Mr Cassoulides expressed grave disappointment with the way the UN has approached the problem.
“The stance of the UN spokesman, speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, is like the stance adopted by Pontius Pilate. This issue concerns the UN Law of the Sea Convention,” he said.
It was also disappointing to see the UN Secretary-General maintaining an equal distance as he does during Cyprus talks, Mr Cassoulides added when in essence he is the head of the UN, under whose auspices the Law of the Sea is administered.
Mr Cassoulides also described as “totally unacceptable” the reply British Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan gave to MPs at the House of Commons, merely saying London was “assessing the situation”.
“The UK happens to have a special relationship with [South] Cyprus, for many reasons, apart from the fact that, as a guarantor power, it participated in the Conference on Cyprus. If it decided that it will ‘assess’ the situation, this is very regrettable,” Mr Cassoulides said.
He expressed the certainty that this would have a fallout effect on bilateral relations. Relations with the UK had improved over the past five years, he said, including on security and in cooperation with the British bases, plus on the issues associated with Brexit.
“I will not be here to witness any evaluation we will carry out in relation to the UK but I would like to express my deep regret on this matter,” he said. This, Mr Cassoulides added, was not the first time Sir Alan had disappointed South Cyprus. He referred to the British minister’s stance during July’s failed Conference on Cyprus in Crans-Montana but did not elaborate.