Cyprus snubs Turkey, will proceed on hydrocarbon exploitation as planned

The Cypriot government, exercising its sovereign rights, will proceed with the procedures for research and exploitation of oil and natural gas deposits, believed to exist in its exclusive economic zone, despite the threats expressed by Turkey, Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis has said.
Cyprus launched on Thursday the 1st Licensing Round Offshore Cyprus for the grant of hydrocarbon exploration and development licenses, a move which triggered the reaction of Turkey, which through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman declared that Turkey expects the Cypriot government ”to halt its demarches regarding calling international tenders to prospect oil and natural gas.”
”We do not reply to the indirect threats expressed by Turkey, through the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman. We remain silent and proceed as planned, exercising our sovereign rights,” Pashiardis said, commenting on the statement.
Noting that ”Turkey has the right to expose itself by resorting to its well-known method of threats and blackmails,” Pashiardis said that the Cypriot government will inform the international organisations about ”all these threats and blackmails, repeatedly expressed by Turkey.”
He reiterated that the government does not worry about these threats and proceeds as planned with the oil research and exploitation for which many big companies from many countries of the world have expressed interest.