Cyprus-Forum.com

[humanist]

Cyprus ignores Turkey's threats not to proceed with oil exploration

Nicosia, Aug 5 : The Government of Cyprus has repeated it would not be intimidated into scrapping bids for oil drilling off Cypriot shores after Ankara stepped up its campaign to halt the process with a direct appeal to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Ankara's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Baki Ilkin last week sent a letter to Ban disputing Nicosia's jurisdiction over the occupied north. He also scolded the Cyprus Government for inviting tenders in defiance of Turkish warnings against doing so.

Ambassador Ilkin, according to Turkish daily Zaman, said in his letter: 'Greek Cyprus is trying to create a fait accompli in the region' and warned that 'Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.'

Cyprus Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides said that Nicosia would not back down in the face of Turkish intimidation tactics, because it knows full well that international law is on its side.

'The Cyprus Government won't give into Turkey's threats because its position is grounded in law and is fully in line with clause 83 of the Law of the Sea,' Michaelides told the press.

Michaelides recalled that both US Ambassador to Nicosia Ronald Schlicher and British High Commissioner Peter Millett have made clear that Cypriot sovereign rights were indisputable because Nicosia is on the right side of international law.

Several major oil companies have expressed interest in purchasing seismic data and two-dimensional charts of the Mediterranean seabed off the island's southern coastline where there are significant oil deposits.

--- ANI

[zan]

You really should not degrade yourself so Humanist. What right has the "RoC" got to go ahead with this without our say so. You do get yourself so confused in all these issues. One minute you tell us that the "RoC" is not doing anything to make us feel welcome and then you call us barbarians....Ever thought of taking up a job as publiic relations officer. Get some perspective on how you really feal and stop giving us all this humanitarian and how much you care for us crap. You are fooling no one.

[pitsilos]

What right has the "RoC" got to go ahead with this without our say so.

hang on a minute, ain't you the one preaching partition?...you tell me what right you have...


well quess what zan, they are going ahead without your say so and at the same time, make a mockery out of turkey...kinda kill 2 birds with one stone...what do you think aboutr that?

so far you want your rights as per 1960 and to keep the land as well...

ps...i think turkey has run out of casus beli...

[bigOz]

What right has the "RoC" got to go ahead with this without our say so.

hang on a minute, ain't you the one preaching partition?...you tell me what right you have...

well quess what zan, they are going ahead without your say so and at the same time, make a mockery out of turkey...kinda kill 2 birds with one stone...what do you think aboutr that?

so far you want your rights as per 1960 and to keep the land as well...

ps...i think turkey has run out of casus beli...

I really find this topic a complete waste of time and foolish!
How is anyone making a mockery of Turkey?
Has anyone discovered any oil yet?
Is there anything really economically worth digging out from the bottom of the sea?
Do you know anything about the volume of the oil reserves not drilled out in Turkley itself? (because at the moment it wouldn't be economical)
What will happen if TRNC starts drilling for oil along the Northern Coast?

The whole of NATO got fed up with the friction between Turkey and Greece over the Aegean oil drilling rights that went on for decades. Of course these scientists and researchers knew there was oil somewhere under there (like there is everywhere else in the World). SO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END? After many moons of threats and military alarms ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Either this is another attempt to put a new carrot in front of the TCs, because the EU incentive is no longer having any effect, saying "look what you'll be missing out on if you do not agree soon", OR it is an attempt to give more ammo to those GCs who have been saying "we are doing so well economically with very good prospects on the horizon - do we really need the TCs as extra cargo?"

It really serves no purpose interms of getting closer to an agreement. Either way, are TCs "bovvered"?

[pitsilos]

I was responding to zan, the preaching partitionist as to what his rights are...

as far as the oil, well a lot of companies showed intrest...as far as bringing it to the top, i will let them do the sums...

I do not see this as an attempt, but as a sovereign right of the RoC...do you disagree with that?

[pitsilos]

Ambassador Ilkin, according to Turkish daily Zaman, said in his letter: 'Greek Cyprus is trying to create a fait accompli in the region' and warned that 'Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.'

is this a threat from turkey?...

and then this

Cyprus Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides said that Nicosia would not back down in the face of Turkish intimidation tactics, because it knows full well that international law is on its side

I wonder what kind of threats Turkey is talking about?

[bigOz]

I was responding to zan, the preaching partitionist as to what his rights are...

as far as the oil, well a lot of companies showed intrest...as far as bringing it to the top, i will let them do the sums...

I do not see this as an attempt, but as a sovereign right of the RoC...do you disagree with that?

Of course it is the right of RoC to look for oil. But really, you have to look further than that - which RoC we are talking about? The one that existed in 1960 with its constitution (and died in 1963)? The one that continued to represent RoC (minus the Turkish community contrary to 1960 constitution) between 1963 - 1974? The one that continued to represent what had become two geographically separated Cyprus with two ethnic communities living under separate rule after 1974? The one that Europe and UN would see as the ultimate recognised Republic, made up of two federal states that incorporates all the ethnic groups?
There are two conflicting interests when it comes to discussing RoC rights and her people. Recognised or not, agreed to a solution or not, undeniably there are two Cypriot communities living in two different geographic areas. Although not recognising the TRNC, no one has declared it as an "illegal entity" and many have allowed TRNC "representative's office" operate in the capacity of a consulates in their countries. TRNC leaders had been allowed to seat at the UN and address them. There are seats allocated in EU to TCs of Cyprus (although not taken up yet).

So as you can see, there is a dilemma here. TRNC is not recognised but almost everyone accepts that the TCs are an integral part of Cyprus republic and its people. They further agree that by rights, TCs should have a say in the political and economic future of Cyprus - if there is going to be ONE united Federal State of Cyprus.

Issuing licences to foreign investors to drill for oil under current circumstances would inevitably cause a reaction from the TCs who will now say "If allowed to carry on with such decisions single handedly, why should GCs ever agree to a solution while they continue to benefit from their internationally recognised status as the only members of RoC?"

I hope you can see the contradiction there and realise that it is not really a simple case of Turkey having an interest in Cyprus oil.

[humanist]

thank you pitsilos,

any Turkish Cypriot who wants to participate in the everyday life of the RoC has the right to return and contributre in every way they wish equally to any other Cypriot.

your wish to separate yourselves it is strictly your choice. the RoC is the only Republic of Cyprus that exists and is recognised in every part of the World as another legal recognised country in the world.

One that according to UN is excercising its right to explore its waters for whatever resource exists. The RoC does need to do more in the social and cultural recognistion and inclussion of other Cypriots when it comes to financial I support what it is doing and I believe it is doing a lot more also

[bigOz]

Ambassador Ilkin, according to Turkish daily Zaman, said in his letter: 'Greek Cyprus is trying to create a fait accompli in the region' and warned that 'Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.'

is this a threat from turkey?...

and then this

Cyprus Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides said that Nicosia would not back down in the face of Turkish intimidation tactics, because it knows full well that international law is on its side

I wonder what kind of threats Turkey is talking about?

It is not Turkiye but the Cypriot minister that is talking about "threats"! Turkiye is talking about her "interests" in Eastern Mediterranean - the existence, well being and economic rights of TCs living in Cyprus is one of her main interests.

What the ambassador said is not a military threat or aggression - it is exactly what it says "Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean". How some paranoid Cyprus minister interprets it is his business, and is not necessarily a reflection of what was actually said.

[pitsilos]

Of course it is the right of RoC to look for oil.

I am happy we agree on this one…I was worried for a minute

But really, you have to look further than that - which RoC we are talking about? The one that existed in 1960 with its constitution (and died in 1963)? The one that continued to represent RoC (minus the Turkish community contrary to 1960 constitution) between 1963 - 1974? The one that continued to represent what had become two geographically separated Cyprus with two ethnic communities living under separate rule after 1974? The one that Europe and UN would see as the ultimate recognised Republic, made up of two federal states that incorporates all the ethnic groups?

no need to look any further we already agreed,,,see paragraph one

There are two conflicting interests when it comes to discussing RoC rights and her people. Recognised or not, agreed to a solution or not, undeniably there are two Cypriot communities living in two different geographic areas. Although not recognising the TRNC, no one has declared it as an "illegal entity" and many have allowed TRNC "representative's office" operate in the capacity of a consulates in their countries. TRNC leaders had been allowed to seat at the UN and address them. There are seats allocated in EU to TCs of Cyprus (although not taken up yet).

the UN has and that’s good enough for me…

So as you can see, there is a dilemma here. TRNC is not recognised but almost everyone accepts that the TCs are an integral part of Cyprus republic and its people. They further agree that by rights, TCs should have a say in the political and economic future of Cyprus - if there is going to be ONE united Federal State of Cyprus.

when the time comes they can start enjoying…you cannot expect, as zan says, he can’t wait anylonger…why should 82%, or the great majority if you prefer be at the mercy of the minority on this?...especially the 160,000 displaced?...the TCS know what to do if they wanna share…

Issuing licences to foreign investors to drill for oil under current circumstances would inevitably cause a reaction from the TCs who will now say "If allowed to carry on with such decisions single handedly, why should GCs ever agree to a solution while they continue to benefit from their internationally recognised status as the only members of RoC?"

as you agreed the RoC is with in her rights to issue these licenses,,,and let me ask you this nigOZ, if the shoe was on the other foot, what do you think it would have happened?...do you think momma turkey would have shared with anyone?

I hope you can see the contradiction there and realise that it is not really a simple case of Turkey having an interest in Cyprus oil.

I think zan answered this contradiction the best…want back to 1960, keep the land, and now want to share the south…

I fully understand the problem and the issues, maybe this could be the catalyst for a solution...talk does is cheap, but I am pretty sure the smell of money will ain't...

I hope there is enough to go around anyway...