Davutoglu’s proposal on a joint management of Cyprus hydrocarbons by Turkey and Greece is unrealistic and unacceptable

 

Statement of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Press Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10th December 2014, Nicosia

 

Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu’s reference to the creation of a joint management committee between Greece and Turkey on the issue of hydrocarbons is unrealistic and unacceptable. This approach clearly springs from Turkey’s long-standing tactic of ignoring the fact that the Republic of Cyprus is an independent state and not a territory under guardianship or a protectorate. Consequently, it is the Republic of Cyprus and nobody else who has jurisdiction to decide how it will exercise its sovereign rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Of course, with the solution of the Cyprus problem the Turkish Cypriot community will have a right of co-management and also enjoy the benefits of hydrocarbons, which are ensured in the convergences concerning maritime zones, natural resources and the distribution of federal revenues. AKEL maintains its position that is correct but not enough to declare that Turkey is responsible for the crisis it has been created and that it needs to defuse it. Initiatives are imperative to force Turkey to end its provocative actions so that the negotiation procedure can resume. The aforementioned convergences are key elements of the initiative that must be taken.

The international community must exert its influence on Turkey to end the blatant violation of the Law of the Sea, including the relevant UN Treaty. We regret that Member States of the European Union, headed by Britain, have chosen especially this period to promote the opening of Turkey’s accession chapters. We wonder what this action is aiming at. Do they perhaps want to encourage Turkey to continue on the path of tension and provocations? We have no other logical explanation since they know that the Republic of Cyprus cannot permit this to happen. If they really want to open accession chapters for Turkey, they must warn it that this is possible only through the termination of the provocations, the respect of the obligations undertaken by Turkey and its sincere cooperation to solve the Cyprus problem.