Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic on Northern Cyprus regarding the announcement by the Greek Cypriot Administration that it will commence unilateral drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean in mid-January

The Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus announced through a NAVTEX issued on December 24, 2024, and valid until February 24, 2025, that the ExxonMobil-Qatar Energy partnership will commence drilling activities in the so-called block 5 starting mid-January. It is evident that the Greek Cypriot Administration is preparing to escalate tensions once again in the Eastern Mediterranean through its unilateral hydrocarbon exploration activities.

The Turkish Cypriot people are co-owners of the natural resources on and around the island. We strongly condemn the Greek Cypriot side’s violation of the legitimate rights of the Turkish Cypriot people through unilateral actions. Our State will not remain idle while the Greek Cypriot side attempts to usurp our rights and will not hesitate to take necessary steps to safeguard our legitimate and contractual rights.

As the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, we reiterate our preference for resolving disputes through diplomacy and dialogue. In this context, we emphasize that our proposal dated July 1, 2022, regarding cooperation on hydrocarbon resources, as well as the call by our Motherland Türkiye for an international conference to bring together all relevant parties, including our State, remain valid. We would like to remind all concerned that the said constructive proposal and call offer significant opportunity for resolving the issue.