Ozersay alleges that the Turkish Cypriots do not need the Republic of Cyprus for being partners in the natural wealth of the island

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (27.09.11) reports that Kudret Ozersay, special representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader, has argued that the Turkish Cypriot side invited the Greek Cypriots to carry out joint explorations for natural gas and to share the income from these explorations. In exclusive statements to Kibris, Ozersay said that if the Greek Cypriot side does not accept this, the Turkish side is ready to carry out explorations in an area including the south part of the island and if it obtains an income to share it with the Greek Cypriot side in the manner and time in which the Greek Cypriot side thinks to share with the Turkish Cypriots the income from its own exploration.

Ozersay alleged that there is no debate in the international community on the issue of the Turkish Cypriots being partners in the natural gas on the entire island and claimed that the rights of the Turkish Cypriots will not change even in case of a solution or the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, continues to exist or there is an agreed separation on the island.

Ozersay alleged that the Turkish Cypriots do not need the Republic of Cyprus for being partners in the natural gas in the south part of the island. He argued that these rights will be arranged if a solution to the Cyprus problem is reached, that in case of an agreed separation these rights will be determined as a result of settling up of accounts within the framework of the 1960 partnership and that if the non-solution on the island continues the rights regarding the natural wealth will still exist.

Ozersay claimed, inter alia, the following: “We have not abandoned any of our rights because we declared the TRNC in 1983. This should be well understood by everyone. I observe that in general there is a misunderstanding on this issue. However, either there is an agreed separation with the consent of the two sides or the TRNC is accepted as separate state, the Turkish Cypriots have rights in every part of the sea area of this island, not only in the northern part. Of course, it is not possible to say from now the scope of this right. However, everybody must understand that this right exists. This right exists independently of its acceptance by others. I think it is very useful to shortly explain the source of this right. First of all there are rights deriving from 1960. Now I am hearing some people wondering ‘how we could still refer to the rights of 1960, if we have declared the TRNC or if we have decided to separate from the Greek Cypriots’.

However, if we see the issue from the international law’s point of view, it is not so simple. First of all, when I say that the rights deriving from 1960 continue, I do not mean that we have rights in the Greek Cypriot state that allegedly continues to exist today?When I refer to rights deriving from 1960, I mean the following: In spite of the fact that the 1960 partnership has been de facto eliminated, the two sides (the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots) have not agreed on how this past partnership will be ended with the consent of both of them. The ending of partnerships in the international law is carried out according to the rules of succession?”

Asked what will Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu do if the Greek Cypriot side rejects the proposal he submitted to the UN Secretary-General, Ozersay said that the Turkish side has three alternatives. He noted that the first preference of the Turkish side is for the UN Secretary-General to invite both sides to simultaneously end or postpone their initiatives (for oil and natural gas). In this case, he said, the agreements made by the Republic of Cyprus with various states and the agreement of the breakaway regime with Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) will be suspended. The second alternative, he said, will come onto the agenda in case the Greek Cypriot side does not accept their above proposal. This alternative, he noted, is included in the proposal submitted by Dervis Eroglu to the UN Secretary-General in New York and in brief it says that “come and let us explore and share together”. If this proposal is accepted, he added, the written consent of both sides will be required for the unilateral agreements, contracts and permits of the sides and in this manner explorations with the consent of both sides will be carried out in both the north and the south area of the island even though no solution is reached.

If this proposal is not accepted, noted Ozersay, the third alternative of the Turkish side will be implemented. “If I need to say it in a simple manner, this third alternative is ‘I will explore in the areas and in the manner you explore and I will share in the manner you will share'”, he noted and added: “That is, if our proposal is not accepted, we as Turkish Cypriot side are ready to explore in an area including the south of the island and in case we obtain income to share this wealth in the manner and time in which the Greek Cypriot side thinks to share with us”.