Spat undermining Cypriot talks
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Reuters
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 05, 2008 00:00
NICOSIA - Rival sides in ethnically partitioned Cyprus accused each other Wednesday of undermining a fragile peace process in a growing dispute over Greek Cypriot oil exploration in the Mediterranean.
Cyprus has accused Turkey, its northern neighbour, of harassing research vessels on four occasions since Nov. 13 in areas it has earmarked for future oil and gas exploration. Turkey has said the ships were on its continental shelf.
"The continuation of these incidents, I am sad to observe, unavoidably impacts negatively on our efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the Cyprus problem," Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, released Wednesday.
But Turkey's allies, the Turkish Cypriots whose state in northern Cyprus is supported by Ankara, challenged Greek Cypriot assertions, saying Greek Cypriots were in Turkish waters.
They said Greek Cypriots had no right to explore for oil or gas while the island was still partitioned and they had an equal right and say over Cyprus's natural resources.
Sovereignty
The dispute hinges on a sovereignty dispute at the heart of the conflict that has split the island for decades, highlighting major difficulties in peace talks.
"The Greek Cypriot side's unilateral activities ... before a comprehensive settlement, prejudge and violate the fundamental rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people," Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat said in a letter to Ban seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Talat and Christofias started reunification talks in September after a four year limbo.
Despite the rhetoric, diplomats said they did not think there was a risk of talks being broken off. "I do not think it will scupper the process," one diplomat said. "But publicly it does sour the atmosphere a bit."
The Greek Cypriot government has no diplomatic relations with Ankara. Cyprus has veto rights over Turkey's bid to join the EU. Turkey's EU talks have already been hobbled by the stalemate on the island, with its entry negotiations partly frozen over the failure to normalise relations with Greek Cypriots.
Greek Cypriots have charted 11 offshore blocks south of the island, offering them to companies for exploration. The area is part of a sea zone Cyprus says it has rights over under international conventions.
"The continuation of these incidents, I am sad to observe, unavoidably impacts negatively on our efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the Cyprus problem," Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, released Wednesday.
But Turkey's allies, the Turkish Cypriots whose state in northern Cyprus is supported by Ankara, challenged Greek Cypriot assertions, saying Greek Cypriots were in Turkish waters.
They said Greek Cypriots had no right to explore for oil or gas while the island was still partitioned and they had an equal right and say over Cyprus's natural resources.
Sovereignty
The dispute hinges on a sovereignty dispute at the heart of the conflict that has split the island for decades, highlighting major difficulties in peace talks.
"The Greek Cypriot side's unilateral activities ... before a comprehensive settlement, prejudge and violate the fundamental rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people," Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat said in a letter to Ban seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Talat and Christofias started reunification talks in September after a four year limbo.
Despite the rhetoric, diplomats said they did not think there was a risk of talks being broken off. "I do not think it will scupper the process," one diplomat said. "But publicly it does sour the atmosphere a bit."
The Greek Cypriot government has no diplomatic relations with Ankara. Cyprus has veto rights over Turkey's bid to join the EU. Turkey's EU talks have already been hobbled by the stalemate on the island, with its entry negotiations partly frozen over the failure to normalise relations with Greek Cypriots.
Greek Cypriots have charted 11 offshore blocks south of the island, offering them to companies for exploration. The area is part of a sea zone Cyprus says it has rights over under international conventions.