The TRNC Foreign Ministry has issued a written statement regarding the agreement signed between Egypt and South Cyprus to construct an undersea pipeline to export natural gas to Egypt.
The statement by the ministry said that “the agreement signed was a direct usurpation of the Turkish Cypriot people’s rights”. It warned that retaliatory steps would be taken in consultation and cooperation with Turkey in the coming days.
Stating that the Greek Cypriot leadership’s move regarding the future of the region’s wealth was unlawful, the ministry wrote:
“The Greek Cypriot side does not have any authority to decide on the future of these resources that also belongs to the Turkish Cypriots. While all relevant sides have openly accepted the rights of the Turkish Cypriots over these resources, the unilateral decisions taken by the Greek Cypriot side on when, how and via which channel the resources will be transferred to the global markets, have no legal basis”.
The statement further noted: “These decisions poison relations between the two sides. Without meeting or discussing the matter with the representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community, without seeking the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side, these steps, which are taken at a very critical juncture of the half-century long Cyprus negotiations process and its future, once more prove the Greek Cypriot leadership’s lack of political will for a comprehensive settlement on the island”.
The Foreign Ministry also wrote that the move was clear proof that the Greek Cypriot leadership, which ignored repeated calls by the Turkish Cypriot side to act jointly on the issue of hydrocarbons, was not only against sharing power with Turkish Cypriots but the island’s wealth as well.
“The Greek Cypriot side, which did not even respond to the Turkish Cypriot side’s request to collaborate on the issue, has once more confirmed that they do not want to share the governance or the wealth around the island. We wish to reiterate that in the steps to be taken soon in collaboration with Turkey, we will not allow the rights of the Turkish Cypriots to be seized by anyone and we urge all relevant actors to stop disregarding and tolerating the unilateral steps taken by the Greek Cypriot side”, the statement concluded.
BRTK
