The government has called on Turkey to sign and comply with the provisions of the Law of the Sea Convention.

“We expect the international community and especially the EU, to which the Republic of Cyprus is a member state, to turn more decisively towards Turkey so that Ankara stops creating tension and provoking Cyprus,” Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou told London Greek Radio (LGR) on Wednesday.

Stephanou noted that Turkey must respect international law, sign the Law of the Sea Convention and comply with it.

Asked about statements made by UN Secretary General Special Advisor on Cyprus Alexander Downer and EU Commissioner Stefan Fule regarding explorations in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, the Spokesman said that the Republic of Cyprus concluded agreements with neighbouring countries in the framework of international law and the UN Convention and began explorations for possible hydrocarbons in its EEZ, noting that this is a sovereign right of Cyprus.

Downer said on Tuesday that the United Nations could consider a mediating role concerning this matter, provided that the two communities ask for its involvement, while Fule expressed the view that “all problems need to be solved through peaceful means, if needed through arbitration from the International Court of Justice and threats of use of force need to be rejected”.

Stephanou said that Turkey does not only illegally question Cyprus’ EEZ but also refuses to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, creating problems in Cyprus, the region and the EU itself.

This is why we belief that the message that must be sent by the EU and the international community in general is that Turkey has been acting in an illegal way and must cease to do so, he noted, adding that no one can question and does not question the sovereign right of the Republic of Cyprus, which the government exercises responsibly.

Asked if the government may take the issue of Turkish threats to the UN Security Council, Stephanou said that the government has made representations and has taken various actions. He recalled that various countries which are permanent and non permanent members of the Security Council and the EU have supported the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign right. We cannot rule out anything right now and the government will act accordingly, he added.

Invited to comment on a statement by Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu that by the end of October things must get clear with regard to the Cyprus peace talks, Stephanou said that if Turkey wants the Cyprus problem to be solved by October or by the end of the year it must cooperate for a settlement on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, as provided by the UN relevant resolutions which unfortunately, as he noted, Ankara does not respect and does not implement.

“The Cyprus problem can be solved if the two sides cooperate and this cooperation is based on the UN decisions and resolutions,” he went on to say, adding that unfortunately the Turkish side is not guided by these resolutions.

Stephanou said that no timetables for a Cyprus settlement can be set out at the negotiating table. He underlined that “we have the good will and we work hard for a settlement of the Cyprus problem, always in the UN framework, on the basis of the international and European Law and on the basis of the 1977 and 1979 high level agreements.”

“We expect the cooperation of the other side to be able to reach a mutually agreed settlement”, he concluded.

Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. Following a decision by Nicosia to begin natural gas and oil exploration in its exclusive economic zone, Ankara has deployed 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.

Drilling has already begun and is being carried out by Houston-based “Noble Energy”, off Cyprus’ south-eastern coast.

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.