Turkish drilling ship Yavuz proceeded to licence area "G" in the south of the Island last Friday to conduct its third drilling operation in line with the licenses granted to the Turkish Petroleum by the Government of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 2011.

In this license area, as the co-owners of the Island, Turkish Cypriots have rights as much as the Greek Cypriots. Should oil and natural gas be found in this area, both parties will share the revenues together.

In this regard, the proposal made by the Turkish Cypriot authorities on 13 July 2019 concerning the equitable sharing of the hydrocarbon resources and revenues is still valid and is an important opportunity for a solution.

The European Union has remained silent since 2003, to the usurpation and violation of the rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean. The EU has never mentinoned or referred to the Turkish Cypriots in any of its statement on the subject and as such it ignored the existence and rights of the Turkish Cypriots.

The EU, acting under the pretext of union solidarity should first of all end its unrealistic, prejudiced and double standard policies.

No one should doubt that Turkey will continue to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots also in the south of the Island, until their rights on hydrocarbon resources of the Island are guaranteed and a cooperation mechanism is established within the framework of the proposal of 13 July 2019.