ISTANBUL, Turkey said it was ready warships to send research vessels, which would go to oil and gas off the coast of Northern Cyprus, reacting to what was said was a provocation by the Greek of the island, Cypriot south escort.
Monday clash of arms came as Texas-based Noble Engineering Inc. began test drilling further south between Cyprus and Israel late Sunday, despite Turkish warnings to stop the project, the semi-official Cyprus News Agency reported. Noble was under license from the Republic of Cyprus, the island’s internationally recognized government of the Greek Cypriot south.
The developments raised the stakes in a dispute over drilling rights in the divided island.
Turkish leaders say that the Republic of Cyprus for oil and gas drilling on the continental shelf, which it defined in an agreement with Israel last year. Any drilling or maritime agreements, Ankara said, must wait until the island divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded Cyprus in response to a Greek-sponsored coup has been reunited, so that both the Greek and Turkish communities benefit.
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz on Monday described the Cypriot exploration project as “a political provocation aimed at consolidating the Greek Cypriot government status,” and so short reunification talks on the island, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.
Mr. Yildiz also reiterated a warning that its own Turkish agreement with the de facto government of Northern Cyprus on the continental shelf north of the island to be defined, as Noble technique would continue with its drilling plans. Ankara would authorize the Turkish Petroleum Corp. research vessels to send exploration beginning in the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot waters, he said.
“The research will be carried out with a [navy] escort,” Anadolu reported Mr. Yildiz as saying.
The Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state, but is not recognized by Turkey. Other hand, Turkey is the only country in the administration of the government of ethnic Turkish north of the island to recognize. The two sides are separated by a UN-controlled Green Line.
Ankara’s threat of military action came on the heels of similar threats in recent weeks, Turkey has to send naval vessels to the aid convoys trying to future naval blockade of Israel from Gaza to break escort. This belligerent policies risk confrontation with Israel and Cyprus, but also tensions with the EU and Washington, diplomats said, noting that Cyprus is an EU member and Noble Engineering is an American company.
A spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs department said Monday in Brussels that the EU urged “Turkey to refrain from any threat or sources of friction or action” that could damage relations in the vicinity of border talks on a control.
Officials from the Department of Energy of the Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has not returned phone and e-mail requests for comment. A spokesman for Noble Energy did not return calls for comment.
Noble Engineering is also involved in the development of Israel Leviathan field, an estimated 16 trillion cubic feet, or approximately 453 billion cubic meters of natural gas contains. Noble’s partner in that project, Delek Drilling LP Israel, has applied to the Greek Cypriot government for an option to a 30% stake in the Cypriot exploration license activation take, too, said a senior industry executive familiar with the project .
“The main reason Turkey is responding so strong that it will be the gateway for all new gas to reach EU markets,” said the executive. An important finding was that Greek Cypriots aim to undermine, he said, while Cyprus would export gas to the EU via Greece.
Selcuk Unal, spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, rejected that claim as “childish”, said Turkey was already an energy hub. “The question is why now? Why are the Cypriots hurry to begin drilling? They should have done years ago. The reason is that it coincides with a crucial moment in the reunification talks, which is why we think that all this provocation, “he said.
Turkey has tried to slow the recent strength in the reunification of Cyprus talks, threatening to freeze relations with the EU if reunification is not approved by the time Cyprus during the presidency will rotate the block in the second half of 2012. Mr. Yildiz repeated that warning on Monday.
source:onlinewsj
Oil Future: Oil Passes $ 90 After API Reports Inventory Draw
NEW YORK (Dow Jones) - Crude oil surpassed $ 90 a barrel in electronic trading Tuesday after an industry group reported a big draw in crude stocks last week. . . Read more »
Massey Energy Fires Legal Salvo in U. S. Mine Officials
The company that my West Virginia where 29 people were slain earlier this year the owner has filed a lawsuit against the mine safety and Health Administration, claiming that they have no ventilation practices that would have benefited miners to adopt. . . Read more »