ANKARA (Sputnik) — Turkey has recalled its seismic research vessel Barbaros that was prospecting for oil and gas deposits on the Cyprus shelf, the Foreign Ministry of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said in a statement Monday.
In October 2014, Ankara announced that it had begun seismic exploration activities on the Cyprus shelf upon request of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Turkey sent its research vessel to Cypriot waters accompanied by a warship. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus accused Turkey of violating the Republic's sovereign right to conduct exploration on the shelf.
The Foreign Ministry also expressed hope that the move would "open the window of opportunity for the rapid return of the Greek-Cypriot side to negotiations over the settlement of the Cyprus issue."
Cyprus has been divided into Turkish and Greek domains since a 1974 Turkish invasion in response to a Greek coup. The only country to recognize Northern Cyprus is Turkey.
In February, 2014 the talks on reunification of Cyprus resumed after a two-year-long break – but were suspended in October of that year over Turkey starting shelf exploration works.
