1. Çavuşoğlu: “It is time to start drilling and we are sending our second vessel to the region” ….
2. Erdoğan: “All people of Cyprus will have equal rights in the south and in the north from the opportunities that will emerge in those waters” ….
3. Dönmez: “We will continue to protect the rights and interests of the TRNC”
4. Akıncı received Spehar ….
5. Reaction from Turkey to France ….
6. International representation and success from TRNC Gliding National Team ….
Çavuşoğlu: “It is time to start drilling and we are sending our second vessel to the region”
Regarding the drilling activity of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated: “The seismic survey period is over. Now the drilling period begins. We are sending our second vessel to the region.”
Çavuşoğlu held a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Çıngız Aydarbekov following the 3rd Turkey-Kyrgyzstan Joint Strategic Planning Group Meeting.
In response to a question, Çavuşoğlu referred to the statement of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the reserves around Cyprus should be shared by the two peoples in Cyprus.
Underlining the rights of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey’s continental shelf which is recorded by the UN, Çavuşoğlu said that no one should oppose the drilling by Turkey, in the continental shelf of Turkey.
Stating that the EEZ that has been declared by the Greek Cypriot Administration or signed with other countries has no validity for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people, Çavuşoğlu added that Turkey has acted in accordance with international law and they have been asking the UN and the EU to resolve this problem up to today. Although the Greek Cypriot side accepts this orally, they do not show an approach to guarantee the Turkish Cypriot people’s rights and all proposals were rejected by them.
Indicating that in spite of all the constructive approaches, the Greek Cypriot side do not want to share gas and oil reserves in the region with the Turkish Cypriot people, Çavuşoğlu said:
“As a guarantor country, Turkey, our duty is to protect the rights of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people. This is our responsibility, we will continue to take steps without hesitation on this issue. We can conduct seismic exploration and drilling activities anywhere we want within our continental shelf, therefore we will be decisive on this issue. We will also continue to take steps in the following process”.
Regarding the threats towards the personnel of the Fatih drilling vessel, Çavuşoğlu said “We do not take these threats seriously. They can do their best. We will do whatever is necessary. In the following process, we will also send our second vessel and start drilling. The seismic research process has finished. From now on it is time for drilling. We are sending our second vessel to the region”.
Erdoğan: “All people of Cyprus will have equal rights in the south and in the north from the opportunities that will emerge in those waters”
Upon a question regarding the calls from the United States and the European Union to Turkey to stop drilling vessels in the Mediterranean, Erdoğan replied:
“We are currently continuing to implement our own program. We will continue in exactly the same way. How someone gives instructions, how they look, how they evaluate, and such a thing is not in our assessment. As a guarantor country we make the effort to look after the rights of our compatriots in North Cyprus, in particular in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the South-Eastern Mediterranean.
All of the people of Cyprus will have equal rights in the south and in the north from all opportunities that will emerge in those waters and we struggle for the rights of our compatriots in North Cyprus in order to protect their equal rights.
Dönmez: “We will continue to protect the rights and interests of the TRNC”
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez stated that Turkey will continue their activities without compromising legitimate rights on the licenced areas in the region.
In his Twitter account, Dönmez said: “Turkey will continue to protect the TRNC’s rights and interests in every field and will not tolerate any unlawful initiatives. Our activities will continue in the region without compromising the legitimate rights on our licenced areas.”
Akıncı received Spehar
President Mustafa Akıncı received the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar. The Cyprus problem and the latest developments on confidence building measures were discussed at the meeting.
Reaction from Turkey to France
Turkish Foreign Ministry made a statement in which it was stressed that the press statements made by their Ministry dated 4 May 2019 numbered 124 and 6 May 2019 numbered 128 are also valid in terms of France.
Turkish Foreign Ministry statement stressed: “Turkey has made its position clear regarding the continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean since 2004. The press statement of the US Department of State dated 5 May 2019, concerning Turkey’s drilling activities in its own continental shelf, is unrealistic”
International representation and success from TRNC Gliding National Team
TRNC Air Sports Federation F3J and F5J gliding model plane national team attended Ukraine Eurotour and FAI World Cup competitions in Lviv city of Ukraine between 2nd and 6th May 2019 and represented the TRNC at the international platform.
Sportsman Erel Cankan from the national team came third in the F3J category and second in the F5J category at the race organised in Ukraine.
