Cyprus exercises stir Greek protest

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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Together with Turkish vessels, Turkish Cypriot warships staged search and rescue drills off the island of Cyprus on Wednesday amid tensions over a disputed search for oil and gas.

The frigate Gemlik and other vessels took part in the maneuvers off the northern town of Famagusta, which included extinguishing fire on a ship, rescuing illegal migrants from a sinking rubber boat and rescuing the crew of a sea plane in distress.

Turkish Cypriot military officials denied the maneuvers were a show of force, but it comes amid a rekindled dispute with Greek Cypriots over who is entitled to the island's potential offshore oil and gas fields.

"The main objective of the exercise is to develop humanitarian aid operations and co-operations between Turkish and Turkish Cypriot governments," Major Gen. Abdullah Recep, security forces commander in Turkish Cyprus, was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency. "This military exercise will show us the capabilities of the Turkish Cypriot government," he added.

But, the government in Greek Cyprus, which effectively controls the south, made strong protestations to the U.N. and the EU, saying the exercise infringes on the island's sovereign right, territorial waters and its airspace.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkish Cypriots were forced to withdraw into enclaves. Internationally, the Greek administration in the south is recognized and the island is referred to as the Republic of Cyprus.

Turkey does not recognize European Union-member Greek Cyprus as a sovereign nation and strongly objects to a Greek Cypriot search for mineral deposits inside the island's exclusive economic zone. That area covers 51,000 square kilometers of seabed off the island's southern coast. Turkey has warned Greek Cyprus against pursuing "adventurous policies" and says Turkish Cypriots should also have a say in how the island's oil-and-gas rights are used.

Search for fuels

Greek Cyprus government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Tuesday the search for fossil fuels inside the island's zone remained its sovereign right and it is protesting the military drills at the United Nations and the EU.

Stefanou noted that the exercise might be linked to Turkey's objection to his government's search for oil in its exclusive economic zone. But he also said both communities could share in the possible bounty if ongoing reunification talks proved successful.

Greek Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat restarted stalled peace talks last September, but have yet to reach a breakthrough in the slow-moving process. "This is an additional motivating factor ... to continue negotiations so that we can reach a just, viable and functional settlement, to reunify our homeland," Stefanou said, according to a report by The Associated Press.

The involvement of a U.S. energy firm Noble Energy, which is set to launch seismic work inside Greek Cyprus' zone later this year, could further complicate matters for Turkey, a U.S. ally. Greeks have licensed Noble to search for fossil fuels near two significant gas discoveries offshore. U.S. authorities are siding with them, saying: "The involvement of U.S. firms in such investment is a business decision, not a political one." Greek Cypriots have also signed agreements with Lebanon and Egypt to mark out undersea borders to facilitate future oil and gas exploration.