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The attribution to Turkey of part of the property rights over Cyprus's submarine wealth deserves to be seen as a solution in the energy stalemate with the country, wrote Christos Panayiotides, editorialist at Cyprus Mail.
The region around Cyprus has huge reserves of natural gas and, while many states and foreign companies have agreements with Cypriot Greece to conduct gas exploration activities, Turkey, the only country to recognize the Turkish Republic from Northern Cyprus, which is opposed to the Turkish Cypriot rights.
Turkey opposes Greek and Cypriot activities in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) claimed by the Greek Cypriot administration. Ankara claims that the Greek Cypriot EEZ is encroaching on the continental shelf of Turkey.
Meanwhile, Athens and Nicosia have repeatedly stated that Turkey violates international law through its claims and drilling activities near Cyprus. Tensions have increased in recent months as drilling and exploration progresses.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), "Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit of not more than 12 nautical miles (or 22 kilometers ) of its coasts, however, Panayiotides added that whenever the territorial waters or the EEZ of neighboring States overlap, the dividing line must then be determined "by mutual agreement, which would lead to a fair agreement".
Even though the Greek Cypriot government accepts the general principle that all Cypriots should benefit from the exploitation of natural resources on the divided island, said Panayiotides, he made it clear that it would prohibit any participation from Cyprus to the management of energy resources. a solution to the Cyprus problem.
But how will the promised promised allocation be achieved and what will happen if the UN declares that the Cyprus problem is "insoluble" remains unclear, he added.
Turkey, for its part, has declared that it does not accept the provisions of the Unclos and can not be accused of violating an agreement that it never concluded, underlines the article.
Ankara does not have any authority to represent both sides of the island. The Greek Cypriot administration should primarily focus on solving persistent problems with the north.
In addition, Turkey has declared itself ready to lend its full support to the search for a just, equitable and peaceful solution to all outstanding issues, including the delimitation of the seas connecting Turkey to all Neighboring states, pointed Panayiotides.
Since it is unlikely that Turkey will give up its current position, "Why is it inconceivable to seek a satisfactory solution to the Cyprus problem, in return for the attribution to Turkey of a part of the property rights on Cyprus submarine wealth? " "The article asked, noting that a prosperous Cyprus could recover the corresponding cost within a short time.
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