Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot Leader Dervish Eroglu(L) attend a signing ceremony in New York, Sept 21, 2011.
ANKARA - Turkey signed a deal with the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state onWednesday that will pave the way for offshore gas exploration, in a moveset to escalate regional tensions over Mediterranean energy reserves.
On Tuesday, the Greek Cypriot government, which has been at loggerheads with Turkey sinceits military invasion of north Cyprus in 1974, said drilling had begun in a southeastern offshoreblock, adjoining a gas field in Israeli waters reputed to be the world's largest find of the pastdecade.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan described the offshore drilling by Cyprus and Turkey'sestranged ally Israel as "madness" before signing the deal with the Turkish Cypriots to clear thepath for Turkish exploration off northern Cyprus.
"We had previously brought to the international community's attention in a clear manner ... that ifthe Greek Cypriots started drilling, we would take a number of concrete steps together with theTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," Erdogan was quoted as saying by state news agencyAnatolian.
"To reflect this commitment, Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus today in NewYork signed a continental shelf agreement."
"Illegal"
Turkey is the only country to recognise the Turkish Cypriot state, while the Greek Cypriotgovernment is internationally recognised and represents the island in the European Union.
Both Cyprus and Greece denounced the agreement as illegal.
"Turkey has committed yet another illegal act by signing an agreement with an illegal entity,such is the pseudo-state, which has been condemned by UN resolutions," governmentspokesman Stefanos Stefanou said in a statement.
"Turkey is attempting to prevent the Republic of Cyprus from exercising a self-evident right, onewhich is acknowledged by the international community, which asks that Turkey respectinternational legality. Unfortunately Turkey persists in acting illegally."
Turkey's neighbour and historic rival, Greece, reiterated its criticism of the pact.
"This move from Turkey is against international law and UN Security Council decisions. The so-called 'deal' is invalid and groundless," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Cyprus has been split since the 1974 invasion in the aftermath of a brief Greek-inspired coup inNicosia, and Turkey maintains a military presence in the Turkish Cypriot state.
Turkey argues that the Greek Cypriot government should not have started gas explorationsbefore reaching a settlement in reunification talks with the Turkish Cypriots, and that the mineralwealth belonged to both communities.
"The Greek Cypriot administration and Israel are engaging in oil exploration madness in theMediterranean," Anatolian quoted Erdogan as telling Turkish reporters early on Wednesday.
"Actually, the Greek Cypriot administration's drilling activity is nothing but sabotage of thenegotiation process between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots," he added.
Peace talks between the two sides were launched in 2008 but progress has been slow. TheUnited Nations is tentatively eyeing a settlement before July 2012 when Cyprus is due to assumethe European Union's rotating presidency.
Turkish muscle
The row over hydrocarbon reserves erupted as relations between Turkey and Israel broke downover Israel's refusal to apologise for killing Turkish activists aboard a ship carrying aid toPalestinians in Gaza last year.
Under Erdogan, Turkey has become increasingly assertive in the region and it disputes theoffshore territorial agreement struck last year by Cyprus and Israel.
Texas-based Noble Energy which is carrying out the drilling operations for Cyprus, has beenconducting offshore drills in the eastern Mediterranean for Israel since 1998.
Turkey has said it would use its navy and air force to escort any gas exploration vessels it maydispatch in the Mediterranean if Cyprus pressed ahead with drilling.
Erdogan again referred to Turkey's military muscle on Wednesday: "Our assault boats andfrigates are already in the region," Anatolian quoted him as saying.
Last week the Turkish leader said warships could be sent to the eastern Mediterranean any timeand Israel could not do whatever it wants there.
The European Commission has called for Cyprus and Turkey to show restraint in the gas rowand work toward a settlement on the island.
Cyprus has said it will block negotiations Turkey began in 2005 to join the European Union ifAnkara continues to oppose its gas exploration. Turkey has said it will freeze relations with theEU Presidency if Cyprus is given the role next July before a settlement over the island isreached.
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