Threats by Ozersay on the explorations for oil and natural gas

Under the title “Warning for retaliation”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (18.08.11) reports that Kudret Ozersay, special representative of Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu, has said that the Turkish Cypriot side will do whatever is necessary in case the Greek Cypriot side, as he described the Republic of Cyprus, starts explorations for natural gas and oil in the Mediterranean Sea.

Responding to illegal TAK news agency’s questions yesterday, Ozersay noted that the Turkish Cypriot side could take steps similar to the steps taken by the Greek Cypriot side “on the basis of the principle of reciprocity” and added: “In case the Greek Cypriot side does not suspend its activities of exploring/mining natural gas in the southern part of Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriot side will also start making agreements and exploring for oil and natural gas in the sea of the island”.

Ozersay alleged that efforts are exerted to “dominate the will” of the Turkish Cypriot side, but the Turkish Cypriot side will not allow this. He argued that the Turkish Cypriot side could be forced to re-examine elements which it has been postponing only because negotiations are going on and it was thinking that they would make the solution more difficult.

He alleged: “If the Greek Cypriot side is determined in taking steps that will put the future and the sovereignty of the island under dominance in spite of the negotiations, everyone should know that we will also take some steps both on the issue of oil and natural gas and on other issues which we refrained to do until today. Everybody should understand the reality that the Turkish Cypriot side is an actor that should be taken into consideration on these issues”.

Ozersay claimed that the issue of oil and natural gas is a matter of sovereignty and that the actions of the Greek Cypriot side on this issue are contrary to the spirit of the negotiations. He alleged: “If the Greek Cypriot administration does not want to maintain this crisis and similar crises which we experienced in the past in the negotiations, it should not act assuming that the Turkish Cypriot side or Turkey will do nothing. There could be nothing more natural than at least expecting this from a side which is supposedly negotiating to solve a dispute”.

Ozersay argued that the Middle East problem is being imported to Cyprus and alleged that the Cyprus problem is artificially turned into a Middle East problem with the initiative of the Greek Cypriot side for natural gas and oil. He claimed that the Greek Cypriot side is committing a mistake and alleged that in the past it had committed the same mistake by artificially turning the Cyprus problem into a European dispute with the accession of Cyprus into the European Union before the solution of the Cyprus problem. “That is, while the Cyprus problem was a dispute on national basis in a Mediterranean island, it is made more complicated with the inclusion of both Europe and the Middle East into the dispute”, he claimed.

Ozersay alleged that in spite of the fact the UN Secretary-General talks about steps that will help increase the confidence between the communities in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot side maintains the lack of confidence by saying that it will carry out explorations for oil and natural gas. “In my view, this behaviour of the Greek Cypriot administration is the last thing that the negotiations process needs”, he argued.

Ozersay claimed that the modality of the negotiations and the fact that a possible solution will be submitted to two separate and simultaneous referendums, show that only the will of the Greek Cypriots is not enough for the future of the island and that the will of the Turkish Cypriots is also needed.

Ozersay said that the agreements which are on the agenda on the issue of natural gas and oil are not usual agreements because they will create permanent status. Ozersay described as “unacceptable” the signing of these agreements against the will of the Turkish Cypriots.

“These agreements, which are made here and are directly related with sovereignty, have the characteristic of being able to create a permanent situation regarding the future of the island. It is unacceptable to try to do these things in spite of the will of the Turkish Cypriots”, he claimed.

Ozersay alleged that this situation is contrary to the principle of continuous sovereignty of the peoples over the natural resources and concluded by saying the following:

“If the Greek Cypriot side says that ‘you declared the TRNC and have not right here’, let it say it and we will know whether we accept it or not. Moreover, even if the TRNC is accepted by the Greek Cypriot side as a separate and independent state, it is true that we have not yet settled our accounts with the Greek Cypriot side. A possible settling of accounts will require the calculation of how this and similar wealth will be shared and not only the sharing of the past partnership, the agreements, the debts and the archives. For this reason, we should do whatever we can to evaluate this last chance in the negotiations process. Otherwise, everything will be destroyed and we will have to sit and settle our accounts with the Greek Cypriots, who are our interlocutors. The fact that we do not refer to these things today is due to our commitment on the issue of the new partnership”.

 Statements by Kucuk on Cyprus’ natural resources

According to illegal Bayrak television (17.08.11), self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk, speaking before the meeting of the “council of ministers”, evaluated the Cyprus Government’s initiatives towards oil and gas exploration off the coast of Cyprus.

Kucuk warned the Cyprus Government that it cannot use unilaterally the island’s natural resources, which Turkish Cypriots have joint rights over. Calling on the Cyprus Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Kucuk said: “We won’t let you use these resources unilaterally.”

Accusing the Foreign Minister Marcoullis of raising tension on the issue with her statements, Kucuk reminded that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had made definite statements on the issue.

Kucuk also said: “It is not possible to understand Marcoulli’s statements despite the clear statements made by Turkish officials. I want to warn her once again that we won’t let them use the island’s common resources unilaterally”.

Akansoy criticizes Eroglu’s and Ozersay’s statements on the Cyprus problem and the explorations for natural gas and oil

Under the title “Eroglu stresses separatism with his statements”, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (18.08.11) reports that Asim Akansoy, general secretary of the Republican “Turkish Party (CTP), has said that the Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu has “returned to making his old statements” on the Cyprus problem. In an interview last night with Kanal Sim television, Akansoy noted also that the statements made yesterday by Eroglu’s advisor Kudret Ozersay on the issue of the explorations for natural gas and oil in the Republic of Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone “include expressions that lead to conflict”, something which was not expected from Ozersay.

Akansoy said that in case these approaches are included as negative element in the report on Cyprus to be submitted by the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council, the side which will suffer damage will be the Turkish Cypriots.

Noting that the Turkish Cypriot side should face the initiatives of the Greek Cypriots in a diplomatic manner and not by creating conflict with its behaviour, Akansoy said that for some time now it is seen that Dervis Eroglu has started using his old expressions. “He uses another version of his old expressions”, he added pointing out that the statements made by Kudret Ozersay are in the same framework.

Recalling that Ozersay said in his statement that the analysis of Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis on the issue of oil and natural gas is “groundless and surprising”, Akansoy argued that Ozersay was right on this issue, but his own analysis was also “groundless and surprising”.

Reminding that in his statements after the Geneva summit on 7 July the UN Secretary-General called on the leaders to prepare their people for the referendums, Akansoy said: “Very well, how will the people be prepared? Is this issue being discussed now among the people? Mr Eroglu has been closed in his palace, does not inform the Turkish Cypriot people and with his statements stresses sovereignty and separatism. It is true that the same situation exists in the Greek Cypriot side, but we are concerned with the behaviour of our own president”.

Akansoy expressed the view that the UN will not remain indifferent to the tension which is created regarding the oil and natural gas. He said that he does not expect many developments on the Cyprus problem until October, but if progress is achieved in the tripartite meeting in October and a meeting similar to the one held in Camp David for the Palestinian problem is held between the sides, some developments might happen. He expressed the view that if a positive climate is seen during the international conference, the UN might bring onto the agenda a comprehensive solution plan for the Cyprus problem.