Eroglu describes as “nonsense” President Christofias’ statement that the Turkish Cypriots have also rights on Cyprus’s natural gasTurkish Cypriot daily Gunes (30.12.11) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu has described as “nonsense” the statement made the day before yesterday by President Christofias that the Turkish Cypriots have also rights on the natural gas found in the Republic of Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Responding to a question of illegal Bayrak television yesterday, Eroglu alleged: “When I told him [Tr. Note: President Christofias] ‘come and let us discuss how we will share this’ [natural gas], I received no reply. Therefore, what he said is empty words, it is nonsense”.

Eroglu said that both communities promised to the UN Secretary-General to focus on the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem and went on accusing President Christofias of misleading the Greek Cypriot community by putting forward things such as the natural gas, instead of preparing it for the solution.

Eroglu noted that the natural resources belong to the Turkish Cypriots as well and argued that the way of sharing these resources should be determined “based on the will of the two sides”.

Eroglu alleged the following: “If you tell to the Greek Cypriot community, which in 2004 was not ready to share its power and wealth with us, that it suddenly became very rich today, it might not want to do this at all. It should be said that this wealth will be used for being an incentive for the solution or only if there is a solution these resources will be used for the solution or if these resources are used without a solution it should be said that they will be used with the will of the two sides not unilaterally”.

Eroglu reiterated the allegation that the accession of Cyprus into the EU played important role in the rejection of the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriot community in 2004 and claimed that if the Greek Cypriots are given the possibility of using this wealth even before the solution, “it will be naivety” to expect the Greek Cypriot side to behave with flexibility.

Eroglu alleged that President Christofias thought that he made a gesture by reportedly referring to the transfer of these resources [to Europe] through Turkey, but the transfer of natural gas through Turkey will actually be a gesture by this country.

Eroglu claimed that some persons in the Greek Cypriot side try to secure political benefits investing on the hopes created by the natural gas.