President Erdoğan sends warning to Greek Cypriot side
14 February, 2018Martyred Deputy Cengiz Ratip remembered on the 54th anniversary of his death
15 February, 2018The United Nations has expressed “regret” over increasing tensions in Cyprus, caused by unilateral Greek Cypriot hydrocarbon-related activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The international organization reiterated the call that both communities on the island could benefit from any natural resources found around Cyprus.
Responding to a question from Anadolu Agency, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said, “the Secretary-General regrets that tensions over hydrocarbons exploration have escalated once again, and emphasizes that all concerned parties should do their utmost to defuse tensions.”
Haq further stated that the UN Secretariat will not “take a position on the rights of member states under the treaties to which they are party, or under general international law”.
“Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stresses that a solution to the Cyprus problem constitutes the best chance of resolving this issue once and for all, and for unlocking collaborative and mutually beneficial solutions”, said Haq.
Pointing to a report on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Haq highlighted that “any natural resources found around Cyprus could benefit both communities”, and that Secretary-General Guterres “recalls that the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders in negotiations had previously agreed that natural resources in a unified Cyprus would lie within the competence of the future federal government”.