Turkey Warns Oil Firms Eyeing Cyprus Shelf
From UPI
ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 5 (UPI) — Energy companies cooperating with Greek Cypriot offshore drilling plans will be banned from participating in new oil and gas projects in Turkey, Ankara says.
Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement Saturday reiterating warnings to oil companies taking part in last week’s four Mediterranean Sea concessions awarded off the shore of Greek-held southern Cyprus.
The awards came as part of a second gas-licensing round launched by Nicosia in February. The U.S. company Noble is working to the south of the new blocks as part of a first-round concession.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey itself, meanwhile, claim equal rights to the economic benefits of the whole continental shelf of the island.
After issuing a pair of warnings earlier this year, Ankara again promised economic consequences for those enabling the development of the Mediterranean field, which together with finds in adjoining Israeli waters have been estimated to hold total gross mean resources of more than 33 trillion cubic feet.
