Turkish official reiterates claims about potential gas discoveries off Cyprus
Any natural gas discoveries made off the coast of Cyprus should be shared with the Turkish-occupied north of the island, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Tuesday, adding that Turkey intends to continue prospecting for hydrocarbon in the Mediterranean.
“Even though Block 6 is not in Turkey’s jurisdiction, it would be wrong to view Cyprus as consisting of only one side,” he said, referring to one of the more promising areas of exploration in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone.
“Everyone living on the island of Cyprus has the right to benefit from such resources. We consider that any transactions made on the assumption that there is only one party are not fair. It is in this context that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statements that the rights and interests of our compatriots in northern Cyprus should be protected,” said Donmez, reiterating the same claims made on numerous prior occasions by Ankara.
The minister also said that Turkey intends to “continue exploration and drilling activities in the Mediterranean, in our continental shelf, in areas of our jurisdiction.”
Donmez made his comments at a news conference where he announced that Turkey will be ready to deliver the first natural gas from its Black Sea field to the national grid by end-March.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the finding of a new natural gas reserve of 58 billion cubic meters (bcm) in the Black Sea.
