by Ahval
U.S. officials on Sunday warned Turkey against drilling for natural gas off Cyprus, citing the risk of escalating tension in the eastern Mediterranean, France24 reported.
“The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey’s announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
Turkey is in a bitter dispute with Greece and Cyprus over its claims on the island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the drilling of hydrocarbons in territories that overlap with Greek Cypriot’s claims.
Turkey’s latest move of sending a drilling ship to carry out offshore exploratory drilling in the parts that overlap with Cyprus’ EEZ is “highly provocative”, Ortagus said.
