LEFKOSA
Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Huseyin Ozgurgun has stated that the parcels of Total, mentioned in the agreement the French company signed with the Greek Cypriots for the search of hydrocarbon, clash with the parcels whose authority was given to Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
"Those companies in cooperation with the Greek Cypriots will inevitably become a side to the issue," Ozgurgun said.
Ozgurgun stated that the Greek Cypriots' signing of an agreement in regards to their so-called exclusive economic region in the 10th and 11th parcels with French Total, has added a new dimension of increasing tension in its unilateral and illegal hydrocarbon search in Eastern Mediterranean.
Ozgurgun condemned the move of the Greek Cypriots and their inclusion of a French company and said, "The parcels on which the Greek Cypriots have signed an agreement fall in our area. As the Turkish Cypriots we hope the UN negotiation process would end up with a fair and permanent resolution. However, if the Greek Cypriots' attitude of extorting the rights of the Turkish Cypriots continues, we will stand up for our right in terms of hydrocarbon search with our guarantor state Turkey."
