The General Secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP), Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, drew attention to the agreements signed between South Cyprus and Egypt, stressing that everyone must acknowledge the rights of Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The General Secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP), Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, issued a written statement regarding the agreements signed between South Cyprus and Egypt.

In his statement, Hasipoğlu said, “The signing of the agreement in Cairo, concerning the so-called ‘Exclusive Economic Zone’ unilaterally declared by South Cyprus, as well as the evaluation of natural gas reserves and the development of cooperation between South Cyprus and Egypt, has been recorded in history as a manifestation of the Greek Cypriot side’s claim of sole sovereignty over the island of Cyprus.”

“The Greek Cypriot Administration has once again demonstrated that it does not embrace a sharing mentality by ignoring the reality that there are two sovereign peoples and states on the island” he added.

“With the agreement signed in the presence of Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, we understand that it pertains to both the Memorandum of Understanding on the commercialization of the Aphrodite gas field and the development of Block 6 within the so-called ‘Exclusive Economic Zone” Hasipoğlu stated.

“The Greek Cypriot side continues to show the world that it has no intention of sharing the island’s wealth with us by not only refusing to share governance at the negotiation table but also rejecting our proposal for the sharing of hydrocarbon resources” he noted.

“Due to this stance of the Greek Cypriot Administration, we signed a continental shelf delimitation agreement with our motherland, the Republic of Türkiye, and subsequently granted the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) a license to conduct research on our behalf” Hasipoğlu explained.

“The Greek Cypriot Administration will eventually have to recognize the rights of the TRNC around the island. Otherwise, instead of a win-win approach, it will lead to losses” UBP General Secretary stressed.

“Everyone must acknowledge that Turkish Cypriots also have rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. Therefore, it is crucial to engage in discussions with Turkish Cypriots, recognize them as a party, and ensure their participation in negotiations” Hasipoğlu said.

“From this perspective, the Eastern Mediterranean holds even greater significance. Despite proposing four times at the negotiation table to establish a ‘Committee’ for energy sharing, the Greek Cypriot side has rejected every proposal” he added.

“At the negotiation table, the Greek Cypriot side claims, ‘I am the sole sovereign on this island, I can make agreements with any country or company I want regarding maritime jurisdiction areas, I have even opened a bank account in your name, and if a solution is reached one day, I will give you your share.’ I wonder how cooperation can be achieved with such a mindset” Hasipoğlu said.

“This is why our demand for ‘Sovereign Equality,’ instead of the ‘Sole Sovereignty’ approach is a highly reasonable and legitimate request” he stressed.

“The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention stipulates that in disputed areas, parties must first sit down and negotiate. However, the Greek Cypriot side avoids this approach” Hasipoğlu noted.

“What needs to be done is to address this issue through an international conference or the planned meeting in March, ensuring a fair and equitable sharing through mutual agreement” he concluded.