Azerbaijan , Baku, Sept. 27 / Trend , G.Dadashova /
The European Parliament will hold a debate following a statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton on Tuesday evening on the dispute between Turkey and Cyprus over oil and gas exploration, which was raised by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan at the UN General Assembly last week, EU website reported.
MEPs are increasingly concerned at the growing tensions between EU candidate-country Turkey and EU Member State Cyprus since Turkey sent a ship on Friday to drill for gas and oil in waters to the north of the divided island of Cyprus, after the Government of the Republic of Cyprus announced last Tuesday that drilling for gas had begun in waters to the south east. Turkey has questioned the right of Cyprus to issue contracts for natural gas drilling.
The Turkish research vessel "Piri Reis", which left the port of Urla for the shores of Cyprus to conduct exploration operations in the continental shelf of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, arrived at the destination, Anadolu reported earlier.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister & government spokesman Bulent Arinc has today stated that the crisis between Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus over the hydrocarbon exploration in the Mediterranean Sea should not expand. "We hope that the Cypriot side will not force Turkey to use military force," Arinc told the Euronews TV channel, the Milliyet newspaper reported.