Under the title “Huge blow against the Greek Cypriots in the Mediterranean’,

Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan (17.11.11) reports that the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yildiz has stated that next week Turkey will sign an agreement with Shell company regarding exploration for oil and natural gas.

Responding to questions yesterday after a press conference he jointly held with Thomas Mirow, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Yildiz said: “Next week we will sign an agreement regarding exploration for oil and natural gas on our lands and in our sea area. We are sitting at the table with Shell on this issue”.

Yildiz noted that the contribution of energy investments to Turkey reached one billion Euros this year and added that they plan to continue on the same amount in the next years. He said the part that Greece paid from its debt reached 185 million dollars and added that the rest will be paid by the end of January. ‘We will discuss later the other 50-60 million problematic part”, he noted.

The paper writes that TPAO and Shell have agreed on principle to hold drilling for oil in Antalya’s open sea (See: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review No. 218/11, 16/11/2011, Item 9).

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar (17.11.11) cites information from reliable sources in Ankara and reports that the Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, the deputy director of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) Yurdal Oztas and Shell officials will illegally visit the occupied area of Cyprus on 26 November in order to meet with “officials” of the breakaway regime in occupied Keryneia. According to the paper, an agreement between Yildiz, TPAO, Shell and “officials” from the breakaway regime will be signed at Acapulco Hotel in occupied Keryneia on 26 November. Yildiz and his delegation are expected to depart from the occupied area of Cyprus on the same day.