Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Turkey starts drilling off Cyprus's northern coast
ekathimerini.com ^ | Thursday April 26, 2012 (13:19)

Posted on 04/26/2012 6:19:14 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin

SINIRUSTU/SYGKRASI, Cyprus -- Turkey began exploratory drilling for oil and gas Thursday in the Turkish-occupied north of ethnically divided Cyprus, heightening a dispute over who is entitled to the Mediterranean island’s potential fuel riches.

The move counters an offshore gas search by rival Greek Cypriots in the island’s internationally recognized southern half that has touched off vociferous protests from Ankara and Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz joined Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu to inaugurate the start of drilling by Turkish Petroleum company TPAO at the Turkyurdu-1 borehole in this northwest village.

The Cypriot government says any fuel search is its sovereign right and has denounced what it calls Turkey’s “gunboat diplomacy.” It also said gas finds could be an incentive to peace that would allow both Turkish Cypriots and Turkey to share in the wealth.

The US firm Noble Energy announced last December the discovery of an estimated 5-8 trillion cubic feet (140-230 billion cubic meters) of gas inside one of 13 blocks that make up Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone. Officials said that is enough to meet the island’s energy needs for many decades.

The Cypriot deposit sits close to a massive Israeli field and the two countries are currently discussing ways of how to extract and process the gas for domestic use and possible export. Cyprus launched a second licensing round for more offshore exploratory drilling earlier this year.

Ankara also claims rights of its own to the Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone and considers as invalid an agreement that the island and Israel signed last year demarcating their maritime borders. [AP]


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: cyprus; greece; israel; methane; receptayyiperdogan; turkey
Charming
1 posted on 04/26/2012 6:19:17 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Cyprus is a hot Turkey sandwich.


2 posted on 04/26/2012 6:25:10 PM PDT by bunkerhill7 (Hot turkey in the gas oven? Who knew?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bunkerhill7

You do a DNA study on this crowd and they are all the same thing.


3 posted on 04/26/2012 6:56:23 PM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Won’t do any good , haven’t they heard it’ll take at least 10 years to produce anything and that’s after the environmental studies have been completed... They’d be better off just inflating their tires and turning down the thermostat.


4 posted on 04/26/2012 7:02:43 PM PDT by Neidermeyer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

More countries with energy discoveries like this will weaken OPEC.


5 posted on 04/26/2012 7:08:28 PM PDT by mountainlion (I am voting for Sarah after getting screwed again by the DC Thugs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Now is as good a time as any. I’m sure any retaliation from Greece will be muted by their EU masters.


6 posted on 04/26/2012 8:58:27 PM PDT by allmost
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson