* Provokes with naval exercise in Noble's Block 12 *
Cyprus has accused Turkey of using "bullying behaviour" in some of its harshest criticism yet of its old foe, locked in a decades-old standoff over the division of the island and recent natural gas finds.
Gas production is set to climb in the eastern Mediterranean following the discovery of huge offshore reserves between Israel, Cyprus adn Lebanon that have sparked competing maritime claims from Turkey.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato KozakouMarcoullis told Israeli Army Radio in an interview that Turkey had held numerous and "provocative" military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean over the past few months.
The show of force, she said, was an attempt to threaten Cyprus and Israel and try to discourage foreign companies from cooperating with the two countries in gas exploration and production.
"This is totally unacceptable behaviour on the part of Turkey. It is bullying behaviour," Kozakou-Marcoullis said.
Cyprus's attempts to tap offshore hydrocarbon riches has angered Ankara, which challenges Nicosia's jurisdiction in searching for oil and gas.
The U.S. exploration company Noble Energy, which is working with both Cyprus and Israel, reported an offshore gas prospect of between 5 trillion and 8 trillion cubic feet within the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone, a find which could make it self-sufficient in the commodity for decades.
Gas production is also set to soar in Israel and it could become a major exporter from finds that could last for the next 40 years, its energy minister said.
Noble is working with Israel's Delek Energy to develop the "Tamar" field, with reserves estimated at 9.1 trillion cubic feet, and "Leviathan" which is nearly twice as big.
"I think (Turkey has not) succeeded. As you know Noble Energy is cooperating with both Israel and Cyprus and of course, they will continue to cooperate with us in the future," Kozakou-Marcoullis added.
Tensions over hydrocarbons riches have been simmering for years. One Cypriot official once described Turkey as "Pirates of the Mediterranean" for allegedly harassing exploration vessels in 2007.
The Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, which invaded north Cyprus in 1974, plan retaliatory exploration in northern Cyprus.
Israel and Cyprus have agreed their adjoining areas of maritime jurisdiction. Turkey, which controls northern Cyprus, disputes its border with Cyprus and Lebanon, which is in a state of war with Israel and has not yet agreed on a joint border between the two.
The interview was broadcast on the eve of a visit to Cyprus on Thursday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where the agenda will include cooperation in energy matters and regional security.
