Divided regions

A reference in Friday’s European Council conclusions calling on Turkey to respect Cyprus’s sovereign rights left Athens and Nicosia content with the outcome of the European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a quick resumption of Cyprus peace talks that were suspended during a dispute over rights to offshore oil and gas.

Ban made the appeal after meeting with U.N. envoy Espen Barth Eide who is brokering talks between Cypriot Greek and Turkish leaders on the divided island.

European Union leaders are expected to express “serious concern” on Friday at Turkey’s breach of Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as it emerged on Thursday that a third Turkish warship is now sailing in the waters south of the island.

European Union leaders will call on Turkey to respect Greek Cyprus's sovereign rights, expressing "serious concern" at fresh tensions between the two countries over oil and gas exploration, a draft summit document showed Oct. 23.

Greek Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades was briefly hospitalised with high blood pressure Oct. 23 in Brussels and asked Greece's premier to stand in for him at an EU summit, the government said.
      

Cyprus is to raise the issue of Turkey’s violation of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at Thursday’s European Council meeting after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu raised the specter on Wednesday of the island being divided into two separate states.

As Nicosia threatened to block Turkey's EU membership talks over a violation of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by a Turkish survey vessel, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that gas exploration activities off the island's southern coast would continue.

Cyprus has said it will block any progress in Turkey's EU membership talks in response to a violation of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by a Turkish survey vessel.
“We cannot consent to the opening of any new chapters under the current circumstances,” ... ...

Cyprus threatens to block Turkey's EU bid

NICOSIA -- Cyprus has announced that it will prevent Turkey's progress in the negotiations for EU membership.

The reason is Turkey's search for natural gas in the same undersea area of Mediterranean.

Cyprus officials were mulling a response late Monday after a Turkish survey boat encroached on an area off the island’s southern coast, further escalating tension in the ever-volatile region.