Greek Cypriot off-shore drilling, "open provocation" of settlement talks, Turkey's EU minister says

PRAGUE (A.A) - Turkey's European Union minister has severely criticized Greek Cypriot off-shore drilling for oil and natural gas around the Eastern Mediterranean island, accusing the Greek Cypriot side trying to stall the ongoing settlement talks to end the 37-year-old division of the island. "Gas is going nowhere if it's already there. Why the hurry? And the UN secretary general has set a year-end deadline for any settlement. So, this is an open provocation of the UN-brokered peace efforts," Egemen Bagis told a panel discussion in Prague, in response to criticisms from Phaedon Anastasiou, the Greek Cypriot side's top diplomat to the Czech Republic. Greek Cypriot side launched offshore drilling for natural gas and oil in the southeast of the island in September. In 2010, the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel signed an accord demarcating their maritime borders to facilitate a search for mineral deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greek Cypriot side had signed a deal with U.S.-based Noble Energy for drilling in an 324,000-hectare economic zone adjacent to the Israeli waters.            Bagis also criticized EU failure to invite Turkey to a meeting that had discussed sanctions on Syria. "Let me ask this question: Did Turkey lose anything for not being there? One nation could try to make a foolish move but the other 26 countries should not remain a bystander to opportunities get missed," Bagis said.