Cyprus

Turkey has sent two ships and a submarine to monitor a drilling vessel off Cyprus, the military said yesterday, in a measure likely to increase tension.

Nicosia said the Turkish move was expected as Ankara wants to crank up the pressure over gas exploration, but will stop short of any military attack.

The acrimony between Greece and Turkey over Ankara's objections to Cyprus's right to drill for natural gas within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) continued Thursday with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu threatening to take action against the Greek Cypriots for acting "unilaterally."

Turkey is escalating its provocations in the area of Cyprus, as Turkish media report that a military frigate was sent near plot 11 where drilling ship “West Capella” has started operations for the exploration of natural resources.

The Gökçeada frigate belonging to Turkey's Naval Forces has begun patrolling the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a bid to watch the exploration activities of Greek Cyprus off the island, as Turkey vowed to retaliate against the Greek Cypriot government's unilateral actions, a move that would likely spark fresh tension in the region.

As a French-Italian consortium prepares to drill for gas off the coast of Cyprus, Turkey has threatened to take measures to counter, what it describes as, "unilateral" acts by the Greek Cypriots.

The "West Capella" drilling vessel contracted by France's Total and Italy's ENI moved into position to start exploring for gas off Greek Cyprus on July 12, the island's energy ministry said. 

A US State Department spokesperson told protothema.gr that the US government backed the right of the Republic of Cyprus to drill in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the exploration of natural gas and oil. Speaking to Michalis Ignatiou of mignatiou.gr and protothema.gr, the official said the US discouraged actions that led to an escalation of tensions in the region.

The West Capella drilling ship arrived off the coast of Cyprus on Wednesday as a French-Italian consortium was preparing to start operations in block 11, without any reports of harassment from Turkish warships conducting exercises with live ammunition within the island's economic exclusive zone (EEZ).

The Cypriot Ministry of Energy officially announced the start of exploration drilling of in block 11 with the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at the “Onesifiros-West 1” target, which is expected to last for 75 days. The statement said the drilling rights were conceded to the joint consortium of Total E& P Cyprus B.V Eni Cyprus Limited.

Amid concerns of tension following last week's collapse of Cyprus peace talks, Turkish warships were expected off the island's coast on Wednesday morning ahead of the scheduled drilling operations by the French-Italian energy consortium of Total and Eni.