Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed hope on Tuesday that the European Union would use the upcoming summit to send Ankara a "stronger message" about the inadmissibility of the unauthorized offshore drilling in the island's exclusive economic zone
ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2019) Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed hope on Tuesday that the European Union would use the upcoming summit to send Ankara a "stronger message" about the inadmissibility of the unauthorized offshore drilling in the island's exclusive economic zone.The summit is scheduled to be held in Brussels from June 20-21, with Nicosia and Athens planning to jointly raise the issue of Turkey's drilling activities.
"Optimism about Turkey's position is excluded. But I'm optimistic at least [in the hope] that ... the EU will send a stronger message [to Ankara] than it has done so far. This is our goal, and I believe that after the summit of the seven countries of southern Europe there will be a stronger position of the EU," Anastasiades told reporters at the presidential palace, as quoted by his press service.
When asked whether Cyprus would use veto if the summit's outcome turned out to be unsatisfactory for it, the president noted that Nicosia would be acting "in line with developments."
"One cannot achieve their goals by statements similar to Turkey's rhetoric," he added.
In a telephone talk with European Council President Donald Tusk earlier in the day, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, meanwhile, demanded that the European Union "unambiguously denounce Turkey's activities in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone." He also stressed that the European Council should mull specific measures against persons involved in the "illegal activities as Turkey persists in breaching international law," according to Tsipras' press service.
It came two days after Tsipras held an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence, after which he stated that the EU might slap sanctions on Turkey in case the latter violated the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus.
Oil and gas exploration off Cyprus' coast has long been the subject of conflicting jurisdiction claims by Ankara, which backs the independence movement of the Turkish Cypriots in the north of Cyprus, and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, governed by the Greek Cypriot community. Each side believes that exploration for the natural resources in this area is their inherent right. In early May, Ankara sent drilling vessel Fatih to the region. Another ship, Yavuz, is expected to join it soon.
