Turkey: Turkish Cypriots also have rights on resources

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish foreign minister said Tuesday Turkish Cypriots also have rights on the resources around the Eastern Mediterranean island, criticizing Greek Cypriots’ 'one-sided' hydrocarbon search.

"Greek Cypriots' unilateral measures here are not correct because Turkish Cypriots also have rights on the reserves around the island of Cyprus," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with Estonian Foreign Minister in Ankara.

Turkey warned Greek Cypriot administration on Thursday about its hydrocarbon-related activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The talks to reunify the island of Cyprus recently ended in failure.

Representatives from the EU, the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaderships, and the guarantor nations of Turkey, Greece and the U.K., participated in the discussions that began at the end of last month to resolve the dispute.

The UN sought a peace deal to unite Cyprus under a federal umbrella that could also define the future of Europe's relations with Turkey, a key player in the conflict.

The Eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.