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| Europe | |
| Turkey warns Lebanon, Egypt against oil deals with Cyprus | |
| 2007-01-31 | |
Lebanon and Cyprus signed an agreement for the delineation of an undersea border on Jan. 17 to facilitate future oil and gas exploration between the two east Mediterranean countries. The 200 kilometer-wide (120 mile-wide) seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant crude oil and natural gas deposits. The Norwegian energy consulting firm PGS recently began a 3-D seismic survey to determine the volume of exploitable hydrocarbon reserves off the Lebanese coast. The exclusive zone agreement is designed to mark the underwater areas where each country can carry out exploration and exploitation work once oil or gas is discovered. A similar agreement signed between Egypt and Cyprus allowed for the joint exploitation of potential undersea oil and gas fields between the two countries. Turkey and Greece came to the brink of war in early 1987 over a similar oil drilling rights dispute in the Aegean Sea. A clash was averted after Turkey withdrew a seismic exploration ship and agreed not to test in contested waters if Greece did the same. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Turkey had legitimate and legal rights and interestsÂ’ in the eastern Mediterranean and insisted Turkish Cypriots also had a say on oil and gas rights concerning the island. The delineation of the continental shelf or of exclusive economic rights in the eastern Mediterranean is only possible through arrangements that would take into account the rights and interests of all parties,Â’ it said. It also said Lebanon had signed the deal despite assurances to Turkish leaders that it would not, the ministry said. Cyprus does not represent the whole of the island,Â’ the Turkish statement said. 'Therefore laws on the issue enacted by the Greek Cypriot government or agreements made with other interested parties have no validity for us.Â’ | |
| Posted by:Steve White |