Erdogan Says Turkey to Start Gas Drilling off Cyprus 'Very Soon'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday Ankara would start offshore gas drilling off the divided island of Cyprus "very soon" after the Greek Cypriots said they had already begun.
"We will start this within our exclusive economic zone very soon, possibly this week," Erdogan told reporters.
The prime minister also warned that the eastern Mediterranean "will be under the constant surveillance of Turkey's frigates, assault boats and the Turkish air force."
"This exclusive zone is disputed," he said, adding that Turkey had conveyed its complaints that what the Greek Cypriot government -- recognized internationally but not by Ankara -- had been doing was inappropriate.
Earlier on Monday, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said: "If Greek Cyprus sticks to the timetable it announced previously, we will start drilling activity next week."
Cyprus made a deal with U.S. energy firm Noble, which is expected to start exploratory drilling off the island before next month.
Yildiz called on Cyprus "to hold immediately" those plans, failing which Turkey would retaliate.
He said an agreement was signed with a Norwegian company for seismic drilling off the island, but he declined to name it.
"First of all, we will start exploration with one vessel," he said, adding that the Turkish navy may escort drilling ships in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey has repeatedly called on the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus to postpone its gas exploration, saying the Greek side has no right to do so while the island remains split, thus leaving the Turkish north out of the picture.
Yildiz said that "depending on the developments, Turkey could sign a continental shelf agreement" with the Turks of the divided island.
Source: Agence France Presse
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