Naharnet

Turkey to Keep on Gas Search in Mediterranean

Turkey will continue searching for gas and oil in the Mediterranean waters, where the rival Cyprus government has already started drilling, the Turkish energy minister said.

"We will not leave the Mediterranean. There are zones that we had spotted earlier," Energy Minister Taner Yildiz was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency on Thursday.

"We could shift the weight (for gas and oil search) from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean," he said.

Regional tensions have been rising after Cyprus made a deal with U.S. energy firm Noble for exploratory drilling for gas off the southern coast of the divided Mediterranean island.

In retaliation, Turkey sent its own exploration ship, Piri Reis, to the region after signing an accord with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for gas exploration in the designated areas off the island.

Turkey does not recognize the Cypriot government, which is recognized internationally. Ankara only recognizes the internationally isolated northern Cypriot statelet.

Yildiz stressed that Turkey would not start drilling if the Turkish exploration ship in the designated zone did not get positive data.

"But there are other zones we will conduct drilling now in the Mediterranean. We will not leave the Mediterranean," said the minister.

He acknowledged that Turkey had sent its own ship in retaliation to the Greek Cypriot decision to resume drilling off the island.

Turkey says the Cyprus government has no right to conduct offshore energy search so long as U.N.-backed talks on reunifying the island are ongoing.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied the island's northern third in response to an Athens-inspired Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece.

Source: Agence France Presse


Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/16744