Christofias Says Turkey’s Moves on Cyprus Oil Risk New Conflict

By Bill Varner – Sep 22, 2011 7:16 PM GMT+0200

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said Turkey’s moves to extract oil and gas from waters off the divided Mediterranean Sea island are illegal provocations that risk a renewal of hostilities.

“Turkish naval maneuvers in the region of Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone, where exploration is being carried out, are provocative and a real danger for further complications in the region,” Christofias said in a speech today to the United Nations General Assembly.

“I wish, from this esteemed podium, to condemn this illegal act which constitutes a provocation, not only for the Republic of Cyprus but also for the entire international community,” Christofias said. “Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership are trying to create tension and new illegal faits- accomplis.”

Turkey, which invaded Cyprus in 1974 and is the only country to recognize the Turkish Cypriot north as an independent nation, disputes Cyprus’s right to explore for hydrocarbons in its Exclusive Economic Zone and has sent warships to the area.

Reunification talks resumed in 2008 after Greek Cypriots, who run the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south, rejected a UN-sponsored settlement plan.

A Turkish vessel will sail tomorrow to begin seismic exploration for oil and gas in waters of the Mediterranean north of Cyprus, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said today.

Also today, in a statement released by his government’s press office, Christofias gave a “guarantee” that Turkish Cypriots will benefit from offshore discoveries before the island is unified. The continental-shelf agreement announced yesterday by Turkey and northern Cyprus is “unacceptable,” Christofias said in the statement.

Christofias also told the General Assembly that the unification talks have been set back by what he described as Turkish Cypriot “retracting on the negotiation table, including from previously found convergences.” The change in the Turkish Cypriot position, he said, “feeds on recent negative and provocative policy of Turkey in the region.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Varner in United Nations at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at [email protected]

via Christofias Says Turkey’s Moves on Cyprus Oil Risk New Conflict – Bloomberg.