‘Ambassadors must not exceed their authority’
AMBASSADORS based in South Cyprus must “not exceed their authority”, Turkey warned on Monday, after diplomats from Israel and Egypt suggested their countries were ready to resort to military action in support of Greek Cypriot efforts to unilaterally exploit offshore resources.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy was responding to comments reportedly made by Israel’s envoy Sammy Revel and Egypt’s representative on the island, Mai Taha Mohammed, at a three-day conference held last week in South Nicosia for Greek Cypriots living abroad.
Israel and Egypt are working closely with the Greek Cypriot authorities to exploit hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey and the TRNC, however, insist that any finds within the island’s waters must be shared with the Turkish Cypriots, who have a “legitimate right”, and have warned they will start their own drilling operations if the Greek Cypriot side refuses to cooperate. The Greek Cypriot administration has promised to split any spoils — but only after a solution to the island’s division.
Earlier this year Turkish warships blocked a ship hired by Italian energy firm Eni from carrying out exploration activities in an area to the south-east of Gazimağusa.
Mr Revel, who spoke during a discussion at the conference last Friday, was quoted by Greek Cypriot media as “condemning” Turkey’s actions in the Greek Cypriots’ self-declared exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“[South] Cyprus has a sovereign right to explore and exploit its natural reserves,” he said “This is our firm position, and hopefully we could solve issues without military intervention.”
Ms Mohammed said Egypt “condemns the harassments of Turkey”, adding: “We hope that we will not reach the point where we will have to use the military in the region.”
American ambassador Kathleen Doherty, who also spoke at the event, simply referred to previous US government statements that described Turkey’s stance as “unacceptable”.
Mr Aksoy said in response to a question at a press conference that the remarks made by “some ambassadors during a recent conference” were “unwarranted”.
“We recommend to the representatives of the relevant countries that they do not exceed their authority,” he added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who this week received newly appointed UN temporary Cyprus envoy Jane Holl Lute in Ankara, said the “Greek Cypriots must stop acting like the sole owners of Cyprus” and that Turkey would “not accept anything less than political equality in Cyprus”.