The reports came days after the failure of the reunification talks between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots. According to the Cyprus' Energy Ministry's statement, the exploratory drilling work at the Onesiphoros West 1 area will last until September, with Total announcing whether it succeeds later.
"While we are holding talks on Cyprus settlement, the Greek side sends a ship for geological exploration, which demonstrates its insincerity in searching for a solution to the crisis. Instead of concentrating on resolving the Cyprus issue, it tries to carry out unilateral work, posing a threat to the negotiation process. We would not remain indifferent and will take steps to respond to their unilateral actions in coordination with our Energy Ministry," Cavusoglu said at a press conference.
The latest round were held of Cyprus reunification negotiations were held in Switzerland's Crans-Montana on June 28-July 7. On the last day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that the talks had ended in a failure of all parties to reach an agreement.
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkey occupied the island's north, later proclaiming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkey maintains military presence in TRNC, which is only recognized by Ankara as an independent state. The United Nations and the European Union have exerted a lot of efforts to reunify the island by political and diplomatic means.
