Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle has called on Turkey to refrain from issuing threats against Cyprus with regard to its oil and gas exploration plans in the South-East Mediterranean Sea, Europolitics reported.

He made it clear at the same time that Cyprus has the sovereign right to enter into bilateral agreements. Nicosia has signed a contract with the US firm Noble Energy Inc. on drilling for natural gas and oil in its 324,000-hectare economic zone South-East of the island. Turkey has objected to these plans, threatening military action if the works start in early October.

“The EU urges Turkey to refrain from any kind of threat, sources of friction or action, which could negatively affect good neighborly relations and the peaceful settlement of border disputes,” Maja Kocijancic, the Commission’s spokesperson for enlargement, told Europolitics on behalf of Füle.

She reiterated the need to respect “all the sovereign rights of the EU member states, which include entering into bilateral agreements, in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

On a more general note, Füle appealed to all parties concerned to “exercise restraint,” especially ahead of the crucial phase of the Cyprus reunification talks this autumn. He encouraged them to “do their utmost to ensure a positive climate that will facilitate a successful completion of the process”.

Meanwhile, criticism is mounting in the EU against Turkey’s stance on the issue. According to Wilfried Martens, president of the European People’s Party (EPP), “Turkey, an EU candidate country, must refrain from issuing threats against an EU member state. This also undermines the EU’s energy security,” he said in a statement.