Nicosia - Tensions on the ethnically partitioned island of Cyprus could come to a head next week with Nicosia's plans to proceed with oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. The internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government plans to accept applications from interested parties for oil exploration permits for a 70,000-square-kilometre sea area south and south-west of the island until August 16.
The government says provisional data suggests there are oil and gas deposits in a sea area separating the island from Egypt to its south and Lebanon to its east. It plans to open 11 areas or blocks for exploration, with permits being issued by the end of the year.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has warned that tensions in the eastern Mediterranean could "escalate" if the government went ahead with its drilling plans, saying that any natural reserves found belonged to both sides of the island.
"Given that next week the Greek Cypriots are expected to intensify their efforts in this regard, it is natural that tensions in the region should escalate," Turkish Cypriot Spokesman Hasan Erkacica was quoted by the Cyprus Mail as saying.
"The Greek side seeks to carve up the eastern Mediterranean, believing that it is a so-called state without internal or external problems," he said, adding "it is well known that the Greek Cypriots tried to deepen the problem by bringing into this countries such as Egypt and Lebanon."
Ankara has objected to Cyprus signing an exclusive economic zone agreement with both Lebanon and Egypt which clearly defines offshore exploration boundaries on the eastern Mediterranean seabed. Turkey has sent a letter to the United Nations disputing Nicosia's jurisdiction over the occupied north.
In the letter to the UN, Turkey also scolded the Greek Cypriot government for inviting tenders in defiance of Turkish warning against doing so.
The Greek Cypriot government has repeatedly said it will not be intimidated into scrapping bids for oil drilling off its shores, adding that it was exercising its sovereign rights within the framework of international law.
"The Cyprus government will not give into Turkey's threats because its position is grounded in law," Cyprus Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides was quoted as saying.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following a Turkish invasion which was triggered by a Greek Cypriot coup attempt by supporters of a union with Greece.
Efforts to reunite the divided island have been deadlocked since a UN-backed referendum in 2004 was widely rejected by Greek-Cypriots but overwhelmingly accepted by Turkish-Cypriots living in the north.
