by Aaron Pellish European lawmakers are expected to adopt a resolution today calling for Turkey to respect the sovereignty of Cyprus and end its exploration of the island nations’ offshore natural gas fields. The European Parliament proposed a joint motion for a resolution on Monday in response to a Turkish research vessel sailing near exploration sites within the Cypriot exclusive economic zone that have already been licensed by Cyprus to the Italian energy company Eni and the Korea Gas Corporation for exploration. “We expect Turkey to respect Cyprus’s sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone, to show restraint and avoid statements and actions that could cause more friction,” EU External Action Service High Representative Federica Mogherini said Wednesday. The resolution demands that Turkey respect European Union and United Nations laws regarding territorial claims and natural resources. Turkey has not signed an ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and has repeatedly denied the legitimacy of Cyprus as a nation. The Commission “stresses that the Republic of Cyprus has the full and sovereign right to explore natural resources within its exclusive economic zone… (and) demands that Turkish vessels operating in waters in and around the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus be withdrawn immediately.” The conflict has been escalated since the discovery of an estimated five trillion cubic feet of natural gas in a reservoir off the coast of Cyprus in 2011. The European resolution states that the gas reserves could improve economic, political and social relations between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the Cyprus government run by Greek Cypriots, has also called for a peace agreement in the name of the potential benefits of the hydrocarbon reservoir. “Hydrocarbons in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone belong to the Republic of Cyprus,” President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades said. “Post-settlement, any revenue from exploitation will benefit all of Cyprus’s legal residents.” Turkey’s intrusion in the Cyprus exclusive economic zone runs in contradiction with its recently renewed ambition to join the European Union. The resolution makes several references to the fact that recognition of the sovereignty of EU member nations and international law is a crucial aspect of the EU accession process. In September of this year, Turkey announced a new strategy to reform its political, economic and diplomatic relationship with the EU in order to accelerate the accession process. The European Parliament is expected to adopt the resolution during today’s plenary session.
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