Turkey Tries to Prevent Cyprus From Exploring Oil

The Government of Cyprus has repeated it would not be intimidated into scrapping bids for oil drilling off Cypriot shores after Ankara stepped up its campaign to halt the process with a direct appeal to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Ankara's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Baki Ilkin last week sent a letter to Ban in which he said: "Greek Cyprus is trying to create a fait accompli in the region" and warned that "Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean."

Cyprus Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides said that Nicosia would not back down in the face of Turkish intimidation tactics, because it knows full well that international law is on its side.