Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Turkey has accused Cyprus of rising tension in the Eastern Mediterranean after the consortium of French and Italian energy companies found more natural gas off the island earlier this week.
Tanju Bilgic, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that Cyprus’s hydrocarbon activities had been carried out unilaterally and right violation of the Turkish Cypriots, who have one of the co-owners of all-natural resources of the island.
According to the Arab News, these activities have also increased the tension and threatened peace and stability in Eastern Mediterranean, he said, adding that Turkey should not allow hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities on its continental shelf without consent.
Turkey Energy Ministry stance on Cyprus
The country’s Energy Ministry said on Wednesday that a consortium of Italy’s Eni and France’s Total Energies found more natural gas off Cyprus.
Turkey’s exploration plan has been hotly disputed by Cyprus, which cites overlapping jurisdictions either on its own continental shelf or in the water of the breakaway Turkey Cypriot state, the north Cyprus, which has been recognized only by Turkey.
Cyprus’s globally recognized Greek Cypriot government, viewed as representing the whole island, dismisses those claims.
