ANKARA
International companies, which cooperate with Greek Cypurs in off shore oil and gas search, will not be
allowed to participate in Turkish energy projects, Foreign Ministry says. ‘Both communities must decide
together how maritime natural gas and oil resources will be used,’ the statement also notes
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu DAILY NEWS
photo
Turkey warned 15 companies, who submitted bids in a fresh
Greek Cypriot tender for oil exploration in disputed areas of the Mediterranean, to withdraw from the project.
“The companies which cooperate with GKRY [the
Greek Cypriot administration] will not be included in energy projects in Turkey in the future,” a Foreign Ministry statement said yesterday.
Turkey’s warning came after
Greek Cyprus announced that 29 companies had made 15 bids for exploratory drilling in a second round of licensing to exploit offshore oil and gas deposits despite strong objections from Turkey. Russia’s Novatec, Italy’s ENI, France’s Total and Malaysia’s Petronas, ATP of the US, Canada’s Petra Petroleum, Israel’s Delek and Britain’s Vitol are among 15 firms and consortiums seeking a license to carry out exploratory drilling off Cyprus Island.
The statement said the exploration was an abuse of the rights of Turkish Cypriots to the same resources. Some areas of the new bid overlaps Turkey’s continental shelf in the Mediterranean, the statement said. “As expressed before, Turkey will not allow any activity on these areas,” the foreign ministry said.
May/19/2012