Who is the owner of Natual Gas |
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Prof. Dr. Ata ATUN |
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Who is the owner of Natual Gas
The hydrocarbon fields, said to be explored in the Greek Cypriot alleged Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) still needs to confirmed and legalized. The unilaterally declared EEZ by the Greek government, itself needs to be internationally recognized as per the Law of the Sea, Convention1, dated 1958, Convention 2, dated 1960 and Convention 3, 1982.
To declare any sea bed as an Exclusive Economic Zone, extending as much as 200 miles into international waters, there are some international rules and regulations to be fulfilled.
First of all the Republic of (Greek) Cyprus is not the same state as internationally recognized on August 16, 1960 under the title Republic of Cyprus.
The Turkish Members of Parliament were expelled from the House of Representatives under gunpoint within couple of weeks after the attacks of armed Greek Militia to Turkish civilians on the night of December 21, 1963.
The Greek Cypriot Members of Parliament, illegally and unilaterally changed the constitution of Cyprus, by amending the items of constitution giving Turkish Cypriots the equal right of partnership. To change the constitution according to 1960 Constitution of Republic of Cyprus, at least 11 votes out of 15 Turkish Cypriot Members of Parliament need to be approving the changes.
The than President of Republic Archbishop Makarios III and his legal advisors, suddenly discovered a law titled “Law of Necessity*” of 19th century, and grabbed the idea of “Doctrine of State of Necessity”, to change or cancel the unamendable Basic Articles of the Cypriot Constitution reflecting the idea that will of state can occur only if there exists a combination of the wills of two separate Communities*. And of course with the consent of the Supreme Court, which approved the imposing of the above mentioned law, where again the decision was taken without the presence of Turkish Cypriot Member and Natural member, which is totally against the 1960 Constitution, the “ancient” Law of Necessity was put into effect and all the legal and partnership rights of Turkish Cypriots in the 1960 Constitution of Republic of Cyprus were amended and Turkish Cypriots stripped out from their partnership rights. After these amendments in the Constitution the legal rights and statute of Turkish Cyprus escalated downwards from the partners of the Republic to minority rights same as the existing minorities in the island, ie Maronites, Armenians and Latins.
So now the existence of the Cyprus (Greek) Republic is still based on the “Law of Necessity” and illegally and unilaterally amended 1960 RoC Constitution.
For the legalization and internationally recognition of the Exclusive Economic Zone declared by the Greek Cypriot Administration, the existing administration had to sign initially a Memorandum of Understanding with each of the surrounding neighboring states, then a preliminary delimitation of the EEZ with the neighboring country, agreement on Median Line separating the two neighboring EEZ’s, and finally the EEZ Agreement itself.
Greek Cyprus Administration did not sign EEZ Agreements with each of the neighboring states and duly the declared Greek Cypriot EEZ is not legal and internationally recognized yet. For the declared EEZ to be legalized and internationally recognized, The Greek Cyprus Administration h ad to complete the above legal procedure with Turkey as well. For the time being Turkey, as one of the guarantor states as per the 1960 Constitution, does not recognize Greek Cypriot Administration, because of their existence being based on the illegally and unilaterally amended 1960 Constitution.
This is the main reason why the Western powers insisting on a quick solution to the Cyprus dispute and advising to Greek Cypriots to share the income of the hydrocarbon products pumped out from the alleged EEZ….
*Note: For further details on Law of Necessity Cyprus, read Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kudret Ozersay’s article titled “The Excuse of State Necessity And Its Implications on the Cyprus Conflict” on internet,
http://sam.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/KudretOzersay.pdf
Ata ATUN
e-mail: ata@kk.tc
http://www.ataatun.com
