LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or TRNC, condemned the Greek Cypriot administration's drilling activities Tuesday in the so-called exclusive economic zone (EEZ) declared by the Greek Cypriot administration.

"We condemn the drilling activity conducted by the Greek Cypriot administration in the unilaterally declared so-called block 6," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said the Greek Cypriot administration violates the equal rights of the Turkish Cypriot people for the natural resources on the island with its unilateral activities and escalates tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and on the island, instead of cooperation.

It added that TRNC's proposal envisaging "cooperation and equitable share of hydrocarbons" is still on the table.

"We expect the Greek Cypriot administration to positively respond to our proposal and cease its unilateral activities immediately," it said. "If it fails to do so, as the Turkish Cypriot side, we will continue resolutely to undertake hydrocarbon activities in the blocks licensed in 2011 on the basis of our inherent rights. There should be no controversy in that.”

The Greek Cypriot administration announced Monday that the drilling activity, which was postponed by Italy's ENI and France's Total energy companies, in the so-called 6th block of the so-called EEZ of the Greek Cypriot administration, had resumed.

ENI and Total Consortium, illegally licensed by the Greek Cypriot administration, postponed drilling activities that the Greek Cypriot administration planned in the so-called 6th block in May 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.