European concern about Ankara’s intention to explore for gas off Cyprus

European Union, Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini expressed “huge concern” Saturday over Turkey’s announcement that it intends to conduct “gas exploration” activities in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus.

“In March 2018, the European Council strongly condemned Turkey’s continued illegal activities in the eastern Mediterranean”, it said in a statement.

“In this context, we call upon Turkey to exercise restraint and respect for the sovereign rights of Cyprus in its exclusive economic zone and to refrain from any illegal action”, she said, stressing that “the EU will respond to it in an appropriate form and in full solidarity with Cyprus”.

In a letter to the International Maritime Mail Service (NAVTEX) on Friday, Turkish maritime authorities announced that they would conduct gas exploration operations until September in a Mediterranean region that the Cypriot authorities say falls within the exclusive economic zone of the island.

The Turkish navy said the exploration would be carried out by the Al Fateh and three logistic support vessels.

“This provocation by Turkey constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus”, the Cypriot foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turkey has rejected European criticism, asserting that its hydrocarbon activities in the eastern Mediterranean “are based on legitimate rights”.

“It is the Greek Cypriot administration, which hasn’t compromised the stability and security of the eastern Mediterranean while ignoring the rights of the Turkish Cypriots”, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

In recent years, the EU member Republic of Cyprus, which controls only two-thirds of the island, has signed contracts for gas exploration with giant companies such as Eni, Italy’s Total and France’s ExxonMobil.

But Ankara, whose forces invaded the northern part of the island in 1974 in response to a coup seeking to annex the island to Greece, demanded an end to any excavation as the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots failed to reach a solution.

On Saturday, Egypt, which signed a gas deal with Cyprus in 2018, said it was “following with interest and concern the ongoing developments over what was announced about Turkey’s intentions to begin drilling activities in a maritime area west of the Republic of Cyprus”.

And warned against “the reflection of any unilateral measures on security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region”.