European Commission Pens Letter Over Turkish EEZ Violations

In the EC's most recent Progress Report it stated, "the Commission stressed the sovereign rights of EU Member States which include, inter alia, rights to explore and exploit their natural resources in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and also stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of Member States over their territorial sea," as reported by Parikiaki.

Additionally, the EC letter discussed other requests by the European Union to Turkey, regarding the promotion of concrete negotiations towards reaching a mutually appropriate solution for both territories of Cyprus, under UN protocols. The EC wrote, "Turkey's commitment and contribution in concrete terms to such a
comprehensive settlement is crucial."

The written correspondence added its expectations of all associated parties to, "de-escalate tension, contribute to a positive climate conducive to a fair, comprehensive and viable Cyprus settlement, and support the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus to help the communities leaders back to the negotiations table and make real progress for the benefit of all."

The European Commission concluded its letter with, "The Commission remains convinced that the gains for all Cypriots from reunification will by far outweigh the costs of compromises that inevitably will need to be made by both sides."