Turkey on Thursday accused Israel of violating the airspace above an area of oil and gas exploration in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, AFP quoted the Turkish army command as saying.
Israeli aircraft encroached on the airspace five times on Monday prompting Turkish fighter jets to eventually chase them away, according to the Turkish army statement.
The eastern Mediterranean has become a coveted area since Israel and Cyprus made significant gas finds in the area.
Turkey has also objected to Cyprus exploring for gas in the areas of the Mediterranean bordering its territory. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when the Turkish military invaded the island after a short-lived Greek Cypriot coup engineered by the military junta then in power in Athens. Turkey still keeps about 30,000 troops in the north and is the only nation which recognizes the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Tensions rose last September when Cyprus began drilling in a southeast offshore area adjoining a gas field in Israeli waters reputed to be the world's largest find in the past decade. Turkey contests a Cypriot-Israeli accord signed in 2010 to create exclusive economic zones in the waters between them.
It also argues that Cyprus should not be exploiting natural resources until a settlement is reached between the Cypriot government and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state for the reunification of the island, and that any revenues should benefit both communities.
Last month, Turkey's cabinet gave approval for Turkey's state-run oil firm to carry out oil and gas exploration in six offshore areas around the island of Cyprus, drawing condemnation from the Cypriot government which lays claim to the territory.
Jerusalem Post
No comments:
Post a Comment