Turkey Re-iterates Warning over Cyprus Drilling

Turkey has again provided a forceful warning to bidders participating the present round of licensing offshore Cyprus, re-interating that will not allow exploration in areas that it views as disputed territory and that the international companies should withdraw their bids.

“We call on the countries concerned and the oil companies to act with common sense, not to engage in activities in maritime fields under dispute due to the Cyprus issue and to withdraw from the bidding,” raed a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The Government of Cyprus is currently in the process of assessing the bids received in a second round of licensing.

Russia's Novatec, Italy's ENI, France's Total and Malaysia's Petronas, Canadian explorer Petra Petroleum, Scotland's Cairn Energy and American-based Marathon Oil are among those reported to be seeking licenses to carry out exploratory drilling.

Specifically, Turkey claims that areas to the west of Cyprus are within its own continental shelf, while some areas to the south of the coast have already been designated by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) government as sites to be explored by the Turkish Petroleum Company (TPAO).

“Future operations of international oil companies in these areas may result in confrontation between the KKTC and TPAO, resulting in the emergence of undesired tensions,” commented the Foreign Ministry. “As announced earlier, Turkey will offer every kind of support to the KKTC.”

Turkey also warned that companies participating in oil and gas exploration in Cyprus would be precluded from energy projects in Turkey.