The Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of European Affairs, Faruk Kaymakcı, advocated the establishment of a gas and oil community in the Mediterranean on Thursday 12 September to a small group of journalists, including EUROPE.
“The EU’s new ‘coal and steel’ is oil and gas in the Mediterranean. The European Coal and Steel Community has helped to create the EU of today, but oil and gas from the Mediterranean can reunite the island of Cyprus and contribute to positive developments”, he explained.
The EU condemned Turkey's drilling and took action against Ankara (see EUROPE 12297/7) on 15 July. According to a Turkish source, the country is drilling in an area that belongs to the Turkish Cypriots. “Whether or not you recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, there is a State [only, editor's note] recognized by Turkey, and Turkish Cypriots have their rights”, the source explained.
According to this source, when the Greek Cypriot authorities started drilling in 2011, the Turkish Cypriots proposed establishing a joint committee on energy, but this proposal was rejected. Last July, the Turkish Cypriots reportedly made this proposal again, which was again rejected “because the Greek Cypriots do not want to talk to the Turkish Cypriots, as this would be a recognition”, explained this source.
In the face of rising tensions, the Turkish source considered that the EU should play a constructive role, as it did between Croatia and Slovenia or between Serbia and Kosovo.
“If the EU thinks that the Greeks in Cyprus are 100% right, that the Turks are the aggressors, the invaders and the barbarians, a way to keep Turkey out, then nothing can be done”, the source said regretfully. Moreover, they warned that “if the EU is playing the solidarity game, we are completely blocked, and this could even lead to additional tensions”, bemoaning that some Member States can use their status to transpose bilateral issues to the European level.
Greece responsible for the increase in arrivals
While the number of arrivals in Greece from Turkey has increased in recent weeks, the Turkish source contended that this increase was the responsibility of Athens, which does not return migrants under the EU-Turkey agreement. “We take any illegal person from the Greek islands, but the Greek authorities do not send them back promptly”, the source bemoaned.
After the EU-Turkey migration agreement, about 60,000 people travelled from Turkey to the Greek islands, but only 1,906 were returned. “This is a bad message for potential migrants”, the source said.
In addition, according to this source, at most €2.1 billion has reached refugees, out of the promised €6 billion. They pointed out that, although the system for aid to Turkey is the fastest in the EU, it is still too slow for the country. They added that the country also needs more money, as the crisis has already cost more than $40 billion. According to the European Commission, €5.6 billion has already been paid (see EUROPE 12323/21). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)