ANKARA
A lack of diplomatic effort over Cyprus plus Turkey's determination to protect its rights are the main reasons behind the Greek Cypriot administration's recent decision to withdraw from settlement talks aimed at reuniting the divided island, experts have claimed.
The Greek Cypriot administration suspended talks on the island’s future on Tuesday after Turkey sent a warship to monitor an oil and gas exploration mission off the Cyprus coast.
Greek Cypriots alleged that Turkey’s strategy disrupted the peace process but Ankara has claimed that the island’s natural resources belong to both communities on the island.
“Turkey should protect its rights in the east Mediterranean by using diplomatic methods,” said Sohbet Karbuz, director of hydrocarbons at the Mediterranean Energy Observatory in Paris.
Karbuz said that developments in the region have been a repetitious process for many years, adding that Turkey's actions in the region are seen as a "provocation" as the Greek side has the support of Western powers.
He underlined that Turkey should be careful and use diplomatic means to solve the matter.
- 'Greek Cyprus administration’s diplomatic steps were insufficient'
Ayla Gurel, a senior research consultant at the Peace Research Institute Oslo’s Cyprus Centre, said U.S. support for southern Cyprus has been increasing in recent years and was among the main reasons for Greek Cypriot administration’s "dramatic decision" to withdraw from the talks.
The international community supported the Greek Cypriot administration and Turkey's actions were approached with suspicion by the same communities," Gurel said, adding that: "Turkish warships were just monitoring the oil/gas explorations in the region and stayed away from GCA’s territorial waters which are 12 miles off the coast."
Gurel says the southern Cyprus “never revived topics such as the distribution of income or its legal framework in the island.
“The least the Greek Cypriot administration could come up with is a proposed suggestion to relieve the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, because the TRNC does not want to be the excluded side all the time.”
- 'Turkey should use the opportunity'
Sinan Bosca, chairman of the Ankara-based Energy Law Research Institute, said that southern Cyprus violated international law by unilaterally declaring an Exclusive Economic Zone.
“Cyprus has a divided structure and the division of the energy resources around the island can cause conflicts,” said Bosca.
According to Bosca, Turkey is in a strategic position to transport natural gas from the east Mediterranean to Europe and Ankara’s attitude and justified requests cannot be ignored.
He said: "Turkey has its strengths and is a powerful nominee to explore and transport energy resources from the east Mediterranean. Turkey should use the opportunity."
The island of Cyprus has remained divided into Greek and Turkish zones since a Greek-Cypriot coup was followed by a Turkish peace mission to aid Turkish Cypriots in the north in 1974.
The Greek Cypriot administration is a member of the EU. It is internationally recognized except by Turkey, which remains the only country that recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
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