Regarding the drilling activity of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated: “The seismic survey period is over. Now the drilling period begins. We are sending our second vessel to the region.”
Çavuşoğlu held a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Çıngız Aydarbekov following the 3rd Turkey-Kyrgyzstan Joint Strategic Planning Group Meeting.
In response to a question, Çavuşoğlu referred to the statement of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the reserves around Cyprus should be shared by the two peoples in Cyprus.
Underlining the rights of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey’s continental shelf which is recorded by the UN, Çavuşoğlu said that no one should oppose the drilling by Turkey, in the continental shelf of Turkey.
Stating that the EEZ that has been declared by the Greek Cypriot Administration or signed with other countries has no validity for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people, Çavuşoğlu added that Turkey has acted in accordance with international law and they have been asking the UN and the EU to resolve this problem up to today. Although the Greek Cypriot side accepts this orally, they do not show an approach to guarantee the Turkish Cypriot people’s rights and all proposals were rejected by them.
Indicating that in spite of all the constructive approaches, the Greek Cypriot side do not want to share gas and oil reserves in the region with the Turkish Cypriot people, Çavuşoğlu said:
“As a guarantor country, Turkey, our duty is to protect the rights of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people. This is our responsibility, we will continue to take steps without hesitation on this issue. We can conduct seismic exploration and drilling activities anywhere we want within our continental shelf, therefore we will be decisive on this issue. We will also continue to take steps in the following process”.
Regarding the threats towards the personnel of the Fatih drilling vessel, Çavuşoğlu said “We do not take these threats seriously. They can do their best. We will do whatever is necessary. In the following process, we will also send our second vessel and start drilling. The seismic research process has finished. From now on it is time for drilling. We are sending our second vessel to the region”.
