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NICOSIA, Cyprus — Proposals put ahead by the chief of Cyprus’ breakaway Turkish Cypriots are a brand new, “unacceptable” bid for the ethnically divided island’s everlasting partition, the nation’s Greek Cypriot president mentioned Wednesday.
President Nicos Anastasiades mentioned in an announcement that he thought of the concepts to be “one other try to entrench the unacceptable narrative for a settlement primarily based on two unbiased states.”
Amongst Turkish Cypriot chief Ersin Tatar’s 5 proposals for a peace accord and the way forward for Cyprus is a plan for the joint exploration of potential offshore pure fuel deposits.
Anastasiades mentioned he could be keen to debate any proposal so long as it doesn’t deviate from the agreed-upon, United Nations-endorsed framework of reunifying Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot zones.
Cyprus was cut up alongside ethnic strains when Turkey invaded 48 years in the past Wednesday, following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Solely Turkey acknowledges a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence within the island’s northern third, the place it maintains greater than 35,000 troops.
Anastasiades’ rejection of the proposals on the anniversary of the island’s 1974 division was the clearest indication but of how far aside the 2 sides stay on discovering any widespread floor to resume the U.N.-facilitated talks.
Turkish Cypriots declare nearly all of Greek Cypriots don’t wish to equally share energy below a federal association and are demanding – with Turkey’s full backing – that any peace deal is preceded by their recognition as a separate state.
Greek Cypriots reject any deal that will formally partition the island, in addition to Turkey’s calls for for a everlasting troop presence and army intervention rights. In addition they dismiss a Turkish Cypriot demand for veto powers in all federal-level choices.
Tatar’s proposal on fuel exploration requires the creation of a “cooperation mechanism” that will contain corporations with which the internationally acknowledged Cyprus authorities has signed offers to drill for hydrocarbons off the island’s southern shoreline.
The Cypriot authorities strongly opposes involving vitality corporations in any negotiations with Turkish Cypriots for worry doing so would diminish its authority and lend credence to a Turkish Cypriot push for the north’s recognition as a separate sovereign entity.
ExxonMobil, Qatar Petroleum, Chevron and a consortium composed of Italian vitality firm Eni and France’s Whole have obtained licenses to drill in 9 of 13 offshore areas, or blocks, inside the island’s financial zone, a lot of which is claimed by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots as their very own.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay mentioned at throughout an invasion commemoration in northern Cyprus on Wednesday that Turkey’s latest drill ship would begin drilling within the Mediterranean subsequent month.
Turkey has prior to now dispatched warship-escorted drill and survey ships contained in the financial zones of Cyprus and Greece, ratcheting up tensions with its NATO ally.
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