Turkey issues maritime notice for seabed surveys ahead of planned Cyprus gas pipeline
Turkey has warned sailors about seabed surveys for a planned gas link to Cyprus, while the Republic of Cyprus has protested the construction agreement at the UN.
Anamur, Turkey. Turkey’s government has issued a navtex maritime notice alerting sailors to seabed surveys between Cyprus and Turkey’s southern coastline. The work is intended to precede construction of a planned natural gas pipeline linking Turkey with the island.
Survey vessels and safety warning
The notice, which communicates information to vessels at sea, covers the period from Monday until December 31. Four ships are designated to conduct the surveys: Denar Pathfinder, Denar Echo, Denar Explorer and Kirici.
The Turkish government has asked seafarers crossing the survey area to keep a safe distance from vessels undertaking the work.
Agreement and pipeline design
Turkish authorities and their Turkish Cypriot counterparts signed a memorandum of understanding on July 10 covering construction of the pipeline.
Speaking at the time, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz described the energy initiative as a historic milestone in cooperation between the two countries. Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel said the scheme was intended for future generations rather than the present, and reflected a commitment to giving their children a country that was stronger, more sustainable and more competitive.
Explaining the technical plans, Bayraktar said the route would connect Anamur, in Turkey’s Mersin, with the Teknecik power station near Kyrenia.
According to Bayraktar, the scheme would comprise two pipelines running in parallel, each measuring 56cm in diameter. This arrangement would permit gas flows in both directions, enabling supplies from Turkey to Cyprus as well as from Cyprus to Turkey.
The planned pipelines would cover 101 kilometres overall, with 97km beneath the Levantine Sea.
Cyprus protests to the United Nations
The agreement has also drawn opposition. Maria Michael, the Republic of Cyprus’ permanent representative to the United Nations, wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to protest the construction arrangement agreed by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot authorities.
In her letter, Michael characterised the signing of what she called a purported memorandum of understanding as another deliberate provocation by Turkey. She said it breached international law, including the Security Council’s relevant resolutions concerning Cyprus.
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