NICOSIA (AFP)--Cyprus Monday said it will continue to block the
key energy chapter in Turkey's European Union accession bid as long
as Ankara opposes Nicosias oil exploration.
"The energy chapter cant open when Turkey tries to impede
Cyprus, an E.U. member state, from utilising its own energy
sources," Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou told reporters.
He said Cyprus had no qualms about opening the chapter if Turkey
acted like a modern state aiming to join the E.U. "But as long as
it behaves like the neighbourhood bully, then certainly Cyprus
cannot give its consent."
Cyprus has protested to Brussels and the U.N. over "provocation"
by Turkish naval vessels attempting to impede oil exploration off
its southern coast.
Nicosia has reported several "serious incidents" last November
when Norwegian vessels were harassed.
Greek Cypriot authorities on the divided island reject Turkish
claims that the search for mineral wealth excludes Turkish Cypriots
from enjoying the benefits.
Turkey is seen as key to the E.U. as a route to lessen
dependence on unstable natural gas supplies from Russia.
The Cyprus government expects to launch a second round of
hydrocarbon exploration licences for some of the 12 offshore blocks
up for grabs later this year, although no specific date has been
set.
Texas-based U.S. firm Noble Energy Inc. (NBL) has been granted a
licence to search for oil in one of the designated blocks inside
Cyprus's exclusive economic zone off the south coast.
Cyprus has also signed delineation agreements with Egypt and
Lebanon, which have agreed to mutually exploit hydrocarbon deposits
that criss-cross their boundaries.
The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey seized and
occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered
coup in Nicosia seeking to unite Cyprus with Greece.