Exploration and exploitation of natural resources within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus: Problems and Prospects”
Intervention by Yiorgos Koukoumas, member of the C.C. of AKEL
3rd Mediterranean Conference of the Left
Malaga, Spain, 31st March – 2nd April 2017
«Geostrategic conflicts in the Mediterranean – the search for and disputes about oil, natural gas and other resources»
“Exploration and exploitation of natural resources within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus: Problems and Prospects”
Today, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East are, not by chance, one of the three regions of the world – the other two are Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and the South China Sea – where fierce battles on energy have reached explosive levels. We all know very well about the dramatic situation that exists in the neighborhood of the eastern Mediterranean. Past and open wounds in the area (such as the Palestinian and Cyprus problem) have crossed with newer issues, such as the imperialist intervention in Syria, the dismantling of Libya, the activities of the “Islamic State” organization and the situation created by the so-called “revolutions” of the Arab Spring.
One of the main characteristics of the current situation is the dramatic militarization of the region. Key parts of the NATO machine (Command centres, aircraft and navy base, missile firing range, maritime training center, parts of the missile shield) are already to be found in the region. The NATO naval operation “Active Endeavour” – under Article 5 – has been patrolling the Mediterranean over the last 15 years, while two NATO military and civilian satellite-programs, namely the “Mediterranean Dialogue” and the “Istanbul Cooperation Initiative”, are centred on the area. On the part of the European Union, the Maritime Dimension of the Common Security and Defense Policy is openly promoting the militarization of the seas, focusing particularly on the eastern Mediterranean. The most worrying development is the exploitation of the refugee issue to further NATO’s control and militarization of the Mediterranean. NATO has been actively involved in the management of the refugee flows in the Aegean, while the EU has developed off the shores of Libya the military operation EU NAVFOR MED «Sophia» to stem the flow of refugees. At the same time, FRONTEX has been “upgraded” into a border and coast guard force and is promoting plans to strengthen the combat navy force of North African states. The last NATO Summit’s decisions in relation to the southern borders of the Alliance are even more alarming. The «Active Endeavour» operation evolving into a maritime security operation – «Sea Guardian» – with extended powers, deepen the dependence of Libya and other countries.
One doesn’t need to make a special effort to understand that the national conflict issues, religious fundamentalism, the democratic credentials of various governments – even the issue of refugee crisis – are being exploited in the context of the huge battles underway for energy in our era. In the Eastern Mediterranean 30% of global maritime trade and 25% of marine oil transport are conducted, while in 2010, the United States Geological Survey in a report, estimated that in the eastern Mediterranean basin there may be up to 340 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, while the value of the Eastern Mediterranean energy reserves are estimated to be around 1.5 trillion US dollars.
Nonetheless, the exploitation of the Eastern Mediterranean natural gas is confronted with two major challenges. On the one hand, the highly complex technical characteristics of extraction and transportation and on the other, the volatile regional situation and relations between the states in the region.
AKEL’s position is that the exploitation of natural resources can and should proceed according to specific parameters: that is, it should be exploited for the benefit of the peoples in line with a plan that views energy as a public social good; that it should be turned into a factor of peace and regional cooperation, and not a factor of tension and militarization; that it should be based on the respect of International Law, the UN Law of the Sea and the inalienable sovereign rights of each state.
The case of Cyprus is particularly interesting because different interests – economic, geopolitical, energy – interconnect with the complex issue of the Cyprus Problem. In Cyprus, the indications of the existence of natural gas reserves in the southern part of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus has attracted the interest of big energy giants, but also of neighboring states. The Republic of Cyprus has proceeded in recent years to take steps to safeguard its sovereign rights, the delimitation of the EEZ and other related agreements with neighboring states, as well as to licensing for research in its reserves. However, this perspective clashes with Turkey’s policy in the region and particularly towards the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkey, after the invasion of the island in 1974 is still illegally occupying 37% of the territory of Cyprus, where indeed it has even established an illegal state formation that is not recognized by any country in the world except by Ankara itself. In addition, to date it does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, even though the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member and Turkey itself is aspiring to join the Union. Finally, the situation becomes even more difficult given that Turkey is not a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Bearing these facts in mind, Turkey is asserting part of the Cypriot EEZ mainly but not only in the northwest, while as far as the rest of the Cypriot EEZ is concerned it considers that it shouldn’t be exploited until the solution of the Cyprus problem, arguing that it belongs to the Turkish Cypriots too. Thus, Turkey is threatening and increasing its aggression against Cyprus in order to prevent the exercise of its sovereign rights. Just the day before yesterday Turkey issued a new NAVTEX directive by which it illegally binds for exercises, maritime areas of Cyprus that it disputes belong to the Republic of Cyprus. Indeed, once again the Foreign Ministry of Turkey reiterated in a threatening way that Turkey “will take all necessary steps to protect its interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. This specific action was taken at a crucial moment in the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem where the resumption of negotiations between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities is expected.
Turkey’s stance has no foundation, neither from a legal, nor a political point of view. First and foremost, the Republic of Cyprus has every right to exercise its sovereign rights to exploit its natural wealth. It is inconceivable that Cyprus is being called upon not to exploit its natural gas until there is a solution of the Cyprus problem, when the problem to the solution of the Cyprus problem is first of all Turkey itself as an occupying power.
Secondly, in the negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities during the period when the former General Secretary of AKEL comrade Christofias was the President of the Republic and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community was Mehmet Ali Talat very significant convergences were in fact recorded on these issues. There was convergence concerning maritime zones, natural resources and the allocation of federal revenues, which with the solution of the Cyprus problem addressed comprehensively the whole issue. The only remaining pending issue is the delimitation of the EEZ with Turkey, which in fact can only be resolved after the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
AKEL believes that the exploitation of natural gas can also be an additional lever towards the solution of the Cyprus problem, namely the 43 year-old occupation of the northern part of the island by Turkey and the division of our people. Indeed, a solution that will reunite Cyprus and its people, entails that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can benefit from our country’s natural wealth. Even Turkey itself when it withdraws from Cyprus and ceases asserting sovereignty rights over the island, can participate in the regional energy cooperation.
This is precisely the reason why AKEL insists that the Republic of Cyprus has every right to continue its planning for the utilization its natural resources. We criticize the right-wing Anastasiades government for cancelling the planning that had been done by the previous government for the creation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Cyprus, which, in contrast to pipes does not create additional dependencies and commitments to our country with regards the exploitation its natural wealth. The fact that AKEL has repeatedly been pointing out the suspension of the implementation of the contractual obligations of the companies operating in the EEZ of Cyprus is indicative. Turkey’s objective to ensure that the natural gas in Cyprus and the whole region will be supplied to Europe via a pipeline that will pass through its territories should be taken into account.
It is without a doubt not accidental that the Memorandum of the EU, IMF and Anastasiades government which was imposed on Cyprus included a reference providing for the IMF’s involvement in the strategic planning, infrastructure, modes of exploitation and management of the natural gas, that is a reference that the establishment of a LNG in Cyprus is commercially dubious.
Furthermore, we know that there exists a confidential study carried out by the European Commission forwarded to the European Central Bank, the IMF and the Ministry of Finance of Cyprus which outlines the advantages of constructing pipelines to Turkey for the transportation of the natural gas to Turkey.
It must indeed also be taken into account that with the Energy Union promoted by the EU, the European Commission is asserting increased powers in the energy policy of states, such as, for example, the demand for advance/prior briefing of the European Commission about Member-state’s energy agreements with third countries, something which further harms the sovereignty and flexibility of states and their possibility to form and develop multi-dimensional energy relations. This illustrates that Cyprus has to face, in addition to Turkish aggression, the hidden agendas between the multinational giants and the Brussels directorates, while the stand of the Cypriot government is, the least to say, contradictory.
That’s the reason why AKEL considers that all these facts point out the need for a solution to the Cyprus problem based on principles and the agreed framework. This is the surest and safest way to utilize unhindered our country’s natural wealth to the benefit of both communities of our people.
Finally, I would like in conclusion to stress that the example of Cyprus demonstrates that the exploitation of our country’s natural wealth presumes the following urgent tasks:
- Defending the principles of International Law and the sovereignty of states. The fact that a small country like Cyprus is facing a Goliath of imperialism does not mean you have to yield and succumb to the aggression.
- Struggling for a solution of our national question: With the termination of the foreign occupation, the abolition of any rights of foreign intervention on the island and the demilitarization of the island, as well as the transformation of Cyprus into a federal state that will be co-managed by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. In this struggle – a struggle against imperialism, occupation and local nationalism – we need internationalist solidarity from the left forces in Europe, the Mediterranean and internationally.
- Opposing the EU’s and IMF’s policies on energy, the energy union and the exploitation of natural resources, but also resisting the continuous demand for surrendering further state sovereignty to Brussels.
- The projection by the Left of progressive and modern policies on energy, defining it as a social good and not as a commodity in the hands of monopolies.
