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Wed, Sept 7, 2011 | Edited by Crethi Plethi

A Turkish navy ship is seen in the Mediterranean Sea during joint maneuvers with the United States and Israeli navy in 2005. Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis has said that if the Republic of Cyprus proceeds with its exploration for hydrocarbons, Ankara may send naval vessels to the drilling area. (Tal Cohen/AFP/Getty Images)

Warmongering Turkey trying to intimidate Cyprus as well

Tensions are not only mounting between Israel and Turkey since the release of the UN Palmer report on the Mavi Marmara incident May 2010, but between Cyprus and Turkey as well. And as is the case with Israel, it’s not Cyprus using bellicose language to intimidate the other party.

Turkey is concerned over Greek-Cypriot plans to begin oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Drilling is scheduled to start in just four weeks. Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis has said that if the Republic of Cyprus proceeds with its exploration for hydrocarbons, Ankara may send naval vessels to the drilling area just as Turkey did in november 2008, according to a report in the Famagusta Gazette.

“It is for this reason that we built our army and trained our soldiers,” said Bagis, claiming that “it is illegal to explore waters that do not belong to them.” He also said that Turkey will make use of all its rights under international law and will act accordingly. “They know that Turkey is serious and that all options are on the table.”

In November 2008, Cyprus accused Turkey of harassing two Panamanian-flagged vessels in international waters. One of the ships was part of an exploration mission off the south coast of Cyprus when it was forced to cease operations by a Turkish naval vessel. Remember what Turkey said about the Israeli raid on the Gaza Flotilla in international waters? They condemned the Israeli naval raid, while in fact the Gaza Flotilla was an illegal attempt to breach a — according to the UN Palmer Report — legal naval blockade of Gaza.

Yesterday, Turkey’s energy minister Taner Yıldız said that no one should attempt to test either the Turkish government or the country’s past, in reference to Greek Cyprus’ intentions to begin oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

“That would be a risky move,” Yildiz said during an interview on private channel CNNTürk while commenting on the Greek Cypriot decision. His comments were also in response to previous remarks by the Greek Cypriot foreign minister, who said, “Turkey would not dare to do anything,” regarding the East Mediterranean issue.

Minister Yıldız said no oil exploration could be conducted in the area.

“I say this noting that we, too, could have rights in a Mediterranean whose exclusive economic zones and borders are as yet undetermined. They cannot conduct explorations just by signing deals with firms,” he said.

The Cyprus government signed a production-sharing contract with U.S.-based Noble Energy to launch exploration activities in a 324,000-hectare economic zone southeast of the island which borders Israeli waters and where massive gas fields were found under the seabed, the Famagusta Gazette reported.

Cyprus' oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

The Turkish Cypriot president Derviş Eroğlu on Monday said the Turkish side would not refrain from taking steps in oil and gas exploration in the Mediterranean if the Greek Cypriots pursue their efforts to do so, the Anatolia news agency reported.

“It is a huge mistake just to take action with the will of only Greek Cypriots regarding an issue that closely concerns the whole island’s future and that can affect the permanent status, i.e. the oil and gas issue,” Eroğlu said.

Eroğlu added that the East Mediterranean was a “semi-closed” sea according to international law, and therefore all countries should consent to such an initiative.

Taking natural resources under the authority of the “federal government” is one of the rare issues on which the Turkish and Greek sides of the island reached a compromise during ongoing negotiations. “Therefore, natural resources will not belong to only one of the founder states. On one hand the Greek Cypriots agree with us on the negotiation table, on the other hand they claim that they can sign agreements that control the future of natural resources and the sovereignty of a new partnership,” he added. [Hurriyet Daily News, Sept 6, 2011]

Cyprus has signed an agreement to delineate the Exclusive Economic Zone with Egypt and Israel with a view to exploit any possible natural gas and oil reserves in its EEZ. A similar agreement was signed with Lebanon but the Lebanese Parliament has not yet ratified it.

In a Famagusta Gazette article, the Secretary General of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union (KTÖS) Şener Elcil issued a statement describing the latest hostile statements of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey’s authorities on the question of drilling as nothing but war mongering.

“‘They are engaging in war mongering with messages full of threats and hatred. They aim to create a conflict between the societies.”

“Turkey recognized the Republic of Cyprus with UN Resolution 186 on March 4, 1964 but it seems this fact has been forgotten. Turkey is asking for trouble with such messages but the natural resources of the Island belong to Cypriots. Such statements de not serve the peace process on the island,” Elçil said.

On the other hand, Alpay Durduran, board member of New Cyprus Party (YKP) issued a written statement claiming that Turkish Cypriot and Turkey’s authorities are carrying out a wide range “brain wash campaign” portraying the Greek Cypriots as the ‘anti-peace’ side.

“They are trying to promote this idea; ‘The Greek Cypriot side does not want a solution on the island, so with whom are we going to make peace?’ With such disinformation campaign, they are destroying the hopes of Turkish Cypriots for a solution,” Durduran stated.

Sounds familiar?

It’s the same disinformation campaign the Turkish Islamist-AKP government is conducting concerning the Gaza blockade and the Mavi Marmara incident, thus willingly destroying the long-standing friendship between the Turkish and Israeli societies.

Do we see a pattern here?

Referring to Turkish threats against Cyprus’ right to explore natural resources in its EEZ, President of the House of Representatives Yiannakis Omirou said that Cyprus has a sovereign right to explore and exploit its natural gas resources located in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said about the latest Turkish threats

”The government expresses its dissatisfaction to the continuous provocative statements against the Republic of Cyprus and its sovereign rights from Turkish officials…This behaviour is unacceptable and condemnable. It shows that Turkey continues actions which are against the International Law and the Chapter of the UN causing openly a member state of the UN and the EU, such is the Republic of Cyprus, which Turkey violates through the force of arms since 1974 its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third eventually establishing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which has since remained internationally unrecognized except by Turkey. The rest of the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, recognises the de jure sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the entire island.