Turkey key to Cyprus gas development

Turkish deputy energy minister believes East Mediterranean gas finds will help forge closer bonds

Cyprus can only develop its natural gas fields in conjunction with Turkey, according to the Turkish deputy energy minister. Gas discovered off the south coast of Cyprus can only be properly exploited if it is piped to Turkey, Murat Mercan told WEC Congress News in an interview. Cyprus’s Aphrodite gasfield lies about 40 km west of Israel’s Leviathan gasfield. Noble Energy, which operates Leviathan, recently entered into a production-sharing agreement with the Cypriot government and there have been reports that Noble has started exploration drilling. Turkey has threatened to mobilise its navy if Cyprus allows drilling to begin. The UK also has a claim to the field because of its sovereignty ov