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full artical can also be fouond here: http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default. ... geID=304_1

Turkey tries to grab Cyprus oil



Turkey tries to grab Cyprus oil




Cypriot and Greek rights swallowed

by Ankara’s demands



By Philippos Stylianou


TURKEY is moving to grab a huge slice of Cyprus’s potential oil and gas reserves. It’s offshore claims in the Mediterranean clearly encroach on Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as divided with Egypt, while completely taking over the as yet undefined western EEZ of the island, thought to present very good oil and gas prospects.

Maps prepared by government services show that Turkish assertions dispute about 40% of blocks 4, 5 and 6 recently offered for tenders in the 1st Offshore Cyprus Licence Round, and perhaps a smaller part of block 7. They are all situated to the southwest of Cyprus EEZ and at least one block, No 4, is directly on the delimitation line with Egypt.

It is not known if any of the three applications submitted on August 16 by offshore bidders concern the disputed blocks, since the tenders have not yet been opened.

Commerce and Industry Ministry Permanent Secretary Efstathios Hamboullas told The Cyprus Weekly that the applications were addressed to the Minister Antonis Michaelides and remain sealed until his return to the island on Monday.

According to informed sources, Turkey asserts that the entire sea area from its southwestern coast between the Antalya region and the Greek island of Rhodes in a straight block down to more than 200 miles forms part of its exclusive economic zone.

This leaves to Cyprus only its 24m contiguous zone off the Paphos coast and entirely swallows Greece’s sovereign rights over the small island of Castellorizo between Cyprus and Rhodes. The Athens government has not reacted to this move by Ankara.

The sources said that because of the direct involvement of Ankara in this area, Cyprus could not possibly seek to define its western exclusive economic zone as she is doing with her other peaceful neighbours.

Law of Sea

Turkey bases its claims on the 1958 UN Law of the Sea Conference, which it has adopted instead of the 1982 UN Law of the Sea, adhered to by 153 states including Cyprus, Greece and Egypt.

Unlike the overwhelmingly accepted 1982 Law of the Sea, the 1958 Conference identifies offshore activities with the continental shelf which it denies to islands and sees only as a submerged extension of continental land mass. Turkey uses this to dispute Greece’s sovereign rights in the Aegean islands, asserting that they are all a geological extension of Asia Minor.

Likewise it does not recognise Cyprus’ right to a continental shelf either and it was given British assurances that this would be the case under the Annan Plan 5. Only 17 other countries along with Turkey abide by the largely obsolete 1958 Law of the Sea.

However, the sources pointed out that in its recent sabre-rattling with Cyprus over offshore rights, Turkey has not so far infringed on the eastern part of the island’s Exclusive Economic Zone, probably because of the presence of other countries in the area, such as Syria and Lebanon. It remains to be seen what Turkey’s attitude will be when the easternmost blocks 3 and 13 are offered for tenders in the 2nd Offshore Cyprus Licence Round in early 2008.

Promising

These blocks look very promising for hydrocarbon deposits, as they are situated opposite Lebanese blocks already contracted out to oil companies. Blocks 3 and 13 will be offered to prospective bidders with more reliable 3Dimensional seismic data, whereas the 11 blocks offered in the first licensing round had only 2D data.

The companies who responded to the first round will undertake to carry out the 3D seismic investigation themselves for their respective blocks, if their application is successful.

The two applications submitted on the expiry of the 16 August deadline came from an American company bidding for 1 block, and from a joint venture involving 3 oil firms from Norway, the United Arab Emirates and the UK for 2 blocks.

Asked about reports that another company had sought to submit a post-dated application, Hamboullas explained that a firm had inquired after this possibility through PGS, the Norwegian company which had carried out the seismic investigation for Cyprus.

" We said that we had to abide by the rules of the competition and referred them to the second round next year, when the remaining blocks of the 1st round will be offered up along with blocks 3 and 13," he noted.

The opposition criticised the government for raising too high expectations about responses to the first offshore licensing round, but the competent Commerce and Industry Ministry and the Government Spokesman said they anticipated this kind of response and were satisfied with it.



BOX


US repeats its position

THE US has reiterated the position stated by its ambassador to Nicosia Ronald Schlicher on the sovereign right of Cyprus to explore its offshore mineral wealth.

Acting State Department Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos, responding to a question said the following in Washington this week:

"The Republic of Cyprus has announced the competition results for acquiring exploration rights for oil and gas deposits in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. An American company is among the competitors. The Republic of Cyprus is a sovereign state entitled to launch competitions inside its Exclusive Economic Zone. The participation of American companies in such investments constitutes a business decision and not a political one."



CAPTION

TURKISH GRAB: The official map of the 1st Offshore Cyprus Licence Round shows the 13 blocks of the island’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Turkish arbitrary claims are marked with a thick red line on the left-hand side, encroaching on blocks 4, 5, and 6, possibly on part of block 7 as well. Marked in yellow are the Egyptian blocks currently under exploration.







OIL

LIA

[the_snake_and_the_crane]

Turks trying to steal more stuff. Nothing new.

[humanist]

Welll the Turks are good at stealing. However, on this one they'll get into trouble because the US and her interest in the Cyprus Oil will put them at bay. If the Turks haven't seen what the US is willing to do for Oil through the so called Iraq intervention against terrorism, I don't know what a good lesson will be.

[Greekster91]

Oh man i can picture it now, pres bush on TV saying how turkey is supporting terrorism and has wmd and we have to get in there and save the world, omg i so can't pres bush's term will be up

[MR-from-NG]

The only oil in Cyprus is olive oil. How can Turks steal what you don't have. Find the fucking thing first and then see what happens. What a load stupid girls you lot are.

[oranos64]

now the U.S is in the picture ...the Turks will mine their areas off the coast of cyprus to the north ,....and forget us

and The U.S will bitch slap them /move the puppet strings ......and tell them to get around the table with talat and papapdopey

[MR-from-NG]

Oh man i can picture it now, pres bush on TV saying how turkey is supporting terrorism and has wmd and we have to get in there and save the world, omg i so can't pres bush's term will be up

It looks like Kifeas has been replaced by a new village drunk

[EPSILON]

Welll the Turks are good at stealing. However, on this one they'll get into trouble because the US and her interest in the Cyprus Oil will put them at bay. If the Turks haven't seen what the US is willing to do for Oil through the so called Iraq intervention against terrorism, I don't know what a good lesson will be.

It seems that Americans will not be a problem for Turks- They can have their bnefis either oil controlled by Gcs or by Turkey- they can make business with both

[oranos64]

The only oil in Cyprus is olive oil. How can Turks steal what you don't have. Find the fucking thing first and then see what happens. What a load stupid girls you lot are.

did you finish school son ,.? guess not ...
get a atlas out and then a book on volcanos ....now look at a aerial picture of the MED ... what does it look like ..think before you answer ..

ok its one big huge volcano/ crater ....in other words.. if you let explain its a huge basin of oil and gas ..hence Egypt already drills some miles away ...the drilling will be expensive but a gurantee to results ...at a time when GAS AND OIL IS NEEDED !!!!

would a U.S company ETC agree to get on board ? ..would billions of pounds be invested in research by companies in the area if their wasnt ...its actually gas and crude oil ....and a mixture .....worth millions ...

sounds like your just upset that us Greeks will become wealthy in the next 10 years not just from this but the companies moving over ....(note the actvities lately outside EXONS offices in Nicosia at the annoncement of US involvement ...

[MR-from-NG]

The only oil in Cyprus is olive oil. How can Turks steal what you don't have. Find the fucking thing first and then see what happens. What a load stupid girls you lot are.

did you finish school son ,.? guess not ...
get a atlas out and then a book on volcanos ....now look at a aerial picture of the MED ... what does it look like ..think before you answer ..

ok its one big huge volcano/ crater ....in other words.. if you let explain its a huge basin of oil and gas ..hence Egypt already drills some miles away ...the drilling will be expensive but a gurantee to results ...at a time when GAS AND OIL IS NEEDED !!!!

would a U.S company ETC agree to get on board ? ..would billions of pounds be invested in research by companies in the area if their wasnt ...its actually gas and crude oil ....and a mixture .....worth millions ...

sounds like your just upset that us Greeks will become wealthy in the next 10 years not just from this but the companies moving over ....(note the actvities lately outside EXONS offices in Nicosia at the annoncement of US involvement ...

The man digging my well in Kyrenia held a little stick in his hand and said "25 meters and BINGO, we'll have more water than all the reservoirs put together in Cyprus" We gave up after 36 meters.

Good luck my naive friend.