The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) 2019 proposal to the Greek Cypriot administration regarding hydrocarbon cooperation remains on the table, the TRNC presidential press office said in a statement Sunday following an announcement by the United States that it would not support the EastMed pipeline and that the Greek Cypriot administration would seek alternatives.
According to the official statement, the option of diplomacy is always on the table.
"Our proposal to the Greek side on hydrocarbon cooperation that we made in 2019 is still on the table," the statement read, adding that the TRNC also fully supports President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s proposal for an extensive Eastern Mediterranean conference.
The TRNC statement also condemned the Greek side’s provocative unilateral actions that completely disregarded these proposals and as well as its attempts to violate the rights of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey.
The statement underlined that the TRNC is determined to protect its legitimate rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, stressing that it has equal rights regarding the research, extraction and operation of natural resources around the island.
Last week, the United States voiced its concerns over the planned subsea pipeline to send natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe, a project strongly opposed by Turkey.
Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel have approved an agreement for the EastMed pipeline, which has been in the planning stage for several years. The countries had aimed to reach a final investment decision this year and have the 6 billion euro ($6.82 billion) scheme completed by 2025 to help Europe diversify its energy resources.
Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades said they will start looking for alternatives following the U.S. statement.
"Our position remains firm: If this project is practically feasible, [if] we can meet the great geological challenges and if, at the same time, it is financially viable, there is the political will to implement it," Kathimerini daily quoted Anastasiades as saying.
"If this plan is not feasible, then we are ready to consider other options with our partners. In any case, I do not think that considering other options harms the interests of any of us, as long as the solution that will be chosen respects international law – something that is a given for all involved," he added.
Former TRNC President Mustafa Akıncı presented the hydrocarbon proposal through the United Nations in 2019, calling for the joint use of Cypriot resources and cooperation between the two sides in the search for gas off the island. Turkey welcomed the move, saying it envisaged cooperation, including revenue sharing, that would enable the two sides to benefit from hydrocarbon resources simultaneously.
The proposition aimed to create a cooperation mechanism between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots, as the co-owners of the island, on hydrocarbon resources that they have equal rights to.
Turkey supported the initiative, calling all interested parties, including the United Nations, European Union and guarantor states, in particular, to seize the opportunity to support the proposal and encourage cooperation on the island's hydrocarbon resources.
However, the Greek Cypriot administration rejected TRNC's hydrocarbon proposal.