Former Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus Andreas Iacovides has described the announcement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Cyprus` Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as “legally unfounded“.
Iacovides, who served in the past as head of the Cypriot delegation for the Convention of the Law of the Sea, was invited by CNA to comment on the announcement issued on Wednesday by the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the second international tender for off-shore hydrocarbon exploration called by the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkey has claimed that certain sections of some of these blocks “are overlapping with Turkey’s continental shelf areas in the Eastern Mediterranean“.
Moreover, the Turkish Ministry warned that Turkey “will not allow under any circumstances foreign oil companies to conduct unauthorised oil/natural gas exploration and exploitation activities in these overlapping areas and will take all necessary measures to protect its rights and interests in the maritime areas falling within its continental shelf“.
In statements to CNA, Iacovides said that the Turkish claims that five of the 13 blocks of Cyprus` EEZ, namely 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7, are in Turkey`s continental shelf, are “legally unfounded and geomorphologically baseless“.
“If Turkey wishes to question Cypriot positions regarding those blocks, as they have been agreed with Egypt in 2003, the response to every member of the international community which respects the international law, is found in the negotiations between Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus, (which Turkey still refuses to recognise). If no solution is found, the dispute will be referred to arbitration of a third party, or the International Court of Justice in The Hague“, he pointed out.
Iacovides said that the median line is the starting point for the division of the EEZ of the two countries, as Cyprus has acted with Egypt in 2003, Lebanon in 2007 and Israel in 2010.
As he explained, this particular way of action is defined by the relevant provisions of the Convention of the Law of the Sea of 1982, as well as article 33 of the UN Charter, which legally binds Turkey and Cyprus to solve any disputes with peaceful means and not with threats or the use of violence.
Invited to say whether he believes that the government of Cyprus should issue an announcement with its arguments, Iacovides said that this has already been done with the publication of an international tender in the EU Official Journal last Saturday for the second licensing round for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation within Cyprus` EEZ.
Iacovides negotiated the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and continues to participate in international fora for the Law of the Sea.
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus.
Recently, Nicosia announced in the Official Journal of the EU a call for an international tender for off-shore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation within the Republic’s Economic Exclusive Zone, signaling the initiation of a second round of licensing.
On Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Nicosia’s new licensing round in the area could lead to tension in the region.
In response to Cypriot exploration activities, Ankara has deployed in the past warships in the Eastern Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.
The government of Cyprus has protested to the UN and the EU Turkey’s moves, saying it has a sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, pointing out that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will benefit from any benefits that may come from oil drilling.
Cyprus has signed an agreement to delineate the Exclusive Economic Zone with Egypt and Israel with a view to exploit any possible natural gas and oil reserves in its EEZ. A similar agreement has been signed with Lebanon but the Lebanese Parliament has not yet ratified it.
Turkey is the only country in the world which does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004.