The Turkish government said its counterparts in Cyprus were over-reaching with their efforts to drill for oil and gas reserves in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the government of Cyprus of taking unilateral action with its hydrocarbon exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

"It does so in disregard of the inalienable rights on natural resources of the Turkish Cypriot people, who are the co-owners of the island," the ministry said in a statement Sunday. "Within this context, we have most recently observed that there is an intention to commence activities in Block 3 in the Greek Cypriot administration's so-called exclusive economic zone."

Italian energy company Eni announced it made a gas discovery off the coast of Cyprus last week. It's been working there since 2013 and maintains interests in six license areas, including Block 3, which it says lies within the country's exclusive economic zone.

A spokesperson for Eni told the Cyprus News Agency that Turkish military ships had interfered with drilling plans in the block using the Saipem 12000 drillship.

"Eni can confirm that on Friday afternoon the Saipem 12000 vessel had to stop the transfer journey to a new location as it was stopped by Turkish military ships with the notice not to continue because there would be military activities in the destination area," the official was quoted as saying

The Turkish government said the blame for any situation that could arise from the offshore stalemate rests with Cyprus. The Greek side of the island, it said, is out of line with its unilateral claim to oil and gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean waters.

The island nation is considered frontier energy territory, though the offshore area could hold nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.

Cypriot licensing rounds have been thwarted by geopolitical rows. More than 40 years after a Turkish military invasion, regional differences have presented a series of road blocks for development in the island nation.

Cyprus, Turkey spar after warships block gas drilling ship
Nicosia (AFP) Feb 11, 2018 - Cyprus on Sunday insisted Turkey had breached "international law" after Ankara's warships blocked an Italian drilling ship on course to explore for gas in the island's politically sensitive waters.

Italy's energy giant ENI told the Cyprus News Agency its vessel was ordered to stop by Turkish ships Friday over "military activities in the destination area" as it sailed to begin explorations in block 3 of Cyprus's exclusive economic zone.

Turkey and the Greek Cypriot-majority republic have sparred over resources in the eastern Mediterranean, with Ankara pushing the claim of the unrecognised statelet it backs on the north of the divided island.

"We are keeping calm in order to avoid any crisis and taking all diplomatic steps necessary so that finally the Republic of Cyprus' sovereign rights can be respected," President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters Sunday.

"We are handling the situation by trying to avoid anything that could worsen the situation without ignoring the fact that Turkey's actions are in breach of international law," he added.

However, Turkey's foreign ministry lashed out at Cyprus over the "unilateral hydrocarbon-related activities" by the European Union's most easterly member.

"It does so in disregard of the inalienable rights on natural resources of the Turkish Cypriot people, who are the co-owners of the Island," a statement said.

"This unconstructive Greek Cypriot attitude also constitutes a major obstacle to the settlement of the Cyprus issue."

The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third in response to a coup sponsored by the military junta then ruling Greece.

Cyprus announced on Thursday that exploratory drilling by Italy's ENI and France's Total had found extensive gas reserves elsewhere off the island in a major breakthrough in its hunt for resources.

Cyprus has signed deals with a range of firms for exploratory drilling, with US giant ExxonMobil also planning two drills in the second half of 2018.

The dispute over resources in the Mediterranean is another complicating factor in efforts to reunify the island after negotiations on the 44-year feud collapsed in acrimony last year.

Turkey and Cyprus are not the only countries at odds over resources in the eastern Mediterranean, with Israel and Lebanon also feuding over competing claims.

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