World Bulletin: Turkish Cypriots to Greek Cypriots: Cut gas deal or forfeit peace deal

A peace settlement in Cyprus is not possible unless Greek Cypriots cut a deal on natural gas exploration with the Turkish side in the north of the island, the chief Turkish Cypriot negotiator said on Tuesday.

Natural gas offshore in Cyprus, which has been partitioned since 1974, was first discovered in 2011. Greek Cypriots, who represent Cyprus's internationally recognised government, have since licensed exploration sites to Italy's ENI, France's Total and U.S. Noble Energy in an offshore area south of the eastern Mediterranean island.

A Turkish company sent a research vessel into the same area last month, prompting Greek Cypriots to suspend peace talks with Turkish Cypriots, saying the move was provocative and designed to undermine their own exploration efforts.

But in an interview in London, Ergun Olgun, the Turkish Cypriot negotiator, said such exploration would continue and even accelerate if Greek Cypriots pressed ahead with their plans to allow multinationals to exploit the area.
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