Cyprus asks EU for help due to massive oil spill

Oil leaked from a Syrian power plant can reach the coast of Cyprus.

Cyprus has asked the European Union for help in dealing with a huge oil spill east of the Mediterranean island. A spokesman for the European Commission said on Wednesday that they had offered to support an oil extraction vessel. The Committee also recommends the States concerned to cooperate within the framework of the Barcelona Convention. The Convention is an international agreement for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea.

On Tuesday, the oil spill was feared to reach the coast in the northeast of the holiday island near the Karpasia region (Turkish: Dipkarpaz) within hours. According to the Cypriot minister responsible for the environment, Costas Kadis, the oil arrived at sea from a Syrian electricity company about a week ago.

There is a geopolitical problem that makes preparations difficult: Cyprus is divided into the Turkish Cypriot-controlled north occupied by Turkish forces and the Greek Cypriot-led Republic of Cyprus in the south. Cape Karpasia is located in the north of Turkish Cypriots. Northern Cyprus is recognized worldwide only by Turkey as a state and is engaged in the Cyprus conflict with the support of Ankara.

According to the Anadolu Agency, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday: “There is no need to worry. All our money is also available to Northern Cyprus.” So it was initially kept open to see if and how North Korea would respond to additional offers of support after contacting Ankara. Cooperation between the two parts of the island is very minimal.

(APA/DSPA)