Turkish FM: East Med energy deal possible without Cyprus solution
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicated on Wednesday that finding a solution to the Cyprus issue does not need to stand in the way of an agreement on the exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves off the divided East Mediterranean island’s coast.
“Waiting for a final solution for the island that will pave the way so that one can benefit from the East Mediterranean’s energy resources is not good for the region or the world,” said Fidan.
He was speaking at a press conference with Tahsin Ertugruloglu, the top diplomat of the administration in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus, who is in Turkey on a two-day visit that began on Tuesday.
Fidan added that an agreement could be reached along the lines of a deal signed between Israel and Lebanon last year, ending a long-running maritime border dispute.
