Ankara won’t allow South Cyprus to breach Turkey’s continental shelf for exploration of oil and gas in the Eastern Mediterranean, said Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru during a Twitter interview with the International Relations Council of Turkey (UIK) yesterday.
“Our country and Northern Cyprus have objected to exploration activities [conducted] by South Cyprus. The unilateral stand of South Cyprus means the extortion of Turkish Cypriots’ rights,” he said, noting that Turkey had previously stated that international firms who cooperate with the Greek Cypriot government won’t be allowed to join new projects in Turkey.
