Türkiye strongly criticized the Greek Cypriot administration for unilaterally carrying out drilling off the coast of Cyprus, disregarding the rights of Turkish Cypriots, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
“We fully support yesterday’s statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on this issue,” Turkish Foreign Ministry said, in response to the Greek Cypriot administration’s hydrocarbon activities with foreign companies Total and Eni.
The ministry continued by saying that the activities violate the rights of Turkish Cypriots, the co-owners of all natural resources of the island and escalate tensions, threatening peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“While President Erdogan’s 2020 proposal to hold an inclusive Eastern Mediterranean Conference and the four cooperation proposals made by TRNC to the Greek Cypriots on hydrocarbon resources are still on the table, we would like to remind both the countries in the region and the third parties who Greek Cypriots hide behind, that escalating the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean in this way would not benefit any party,” the ministry said.
The ministry continued by saying that Türkiye will continue to protect the rights of TRNC and will continue to support Lefkosa’s hydrocarbon activities in the period ahead.