Cypriot president says Turkey aims at controlling eastern Mediterranean natural gas

NICOSIA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday that Turkey's hard stance indicates its aim at controlling the eastern Mediterranean natural gas and its transfer to Europe through its territory.

Anastasiades was commenting on the outcome of a meeting in Varna, Bulgaria, on Monday, between European Union officials and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

EU Council President Donald Tusk said talks with Erdogan offered no answers to a long list of concerns, including Turkey's intervention in Cypriot exclusive economic zone to prevent natural gas drilling.

In remarks to journalists after the meeting, Erdogan insisted on a demand that Turkish Cypriots should take part on an equal footing with Greek Cypriots in energy planning and exploitation.

Anastasiades told an oil and gas forum in Nicosia that the interests of Turkish Cypriots have been safeguarded by an agreement in the negotiations for a Cyprus solution which stipulates gas benefits will be distributed among the Cypriot communities in an equitable way.

Turkish Cypriots, who make up about 20 percent of the one million population of Cyprus, pulled out of the government and set up their own break-away state in the region of Cyprus Turkey occupied in 1974, in reaction to a coup engineered by the military rulers of Greece. Their so-called state is recognized only by Turkey

Turkish Cypriots recently backed down from the agreement on how natural gas proceeds will be shared after a Cyprus solution, demanding that they must also have a say on who will be licensed to explore for natural gas and on how it will be exploited.

"Turkish Cypriots rights are fully safeguarded and Turkey's claims that it aims at their protections is just an excuse to gain control over the gas or become a hub for the distribution of energy to Europe," Anastasiades said.

Government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said that Cyprus is fully satisfied with messages passed by the EU officials to Erdogan on the right of Cyprus to explore and exploit natural gas discovered in its exclusive economic zone.

"It remains to be seen whether these messages have been received or not by Turkey," Anastasiades said.

He again said that he is ready to resume negotiations at any time with Turkish Cypriots and Turkey for an agreement reunifying Cyprus, provided that Turkey abstains from violating Cypriot sovereignty.

Cypriot political analysts said they believe that at the Varna meeting Erdogan maintained a tough policy line, but at the same time he held back from a head-on collision, having in mind Turkey's bid to enhance its custom union with the European Union and ultimately join it as a full member.

Beyond the resumption of accession negotiations and the opening of new chapters, Erdogan also asked for the abolition of visas for Turkish citizens and the release of accession funds. Enditem