Ankara threatens Nicosia over arrest warrants

Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy has once again upped the ante with Cyprus, warning that Ankara will "give the necessary response" if Nicosia "dares" to arrest employees of the Turkish-flagged drillship Fatih that is currently conducting drilling activities off the island's west coast.

His remarks, cited in Turkish media Monday, came in response to the issue of international arrest warrants by Nicosia for employees of the drillship and officials of companies which cooperate with the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) for conducting illegal activities within the island's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Aksoy questioned the warrants' validity, saying they were issued by Cyprus on the grounds that it owns the sea area in question. He said the claim is not based on international law. For this reason, he added, "we will also initiate...