Washington this week expressed its “deep concern” over Turkish hydrocarbon drilling in Cyprus' maritime zone, on the heels of threats by Ankara to send the drill ship 'Yavuz' to a sea region directly to the south of the island republic.
Both the Cypriot government and Greece have called Turkey's actions illegal and provocative.
“This provocative step raises tensions in the region. We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations,” a State Department official told reporters in the US capital.
The State Department also repeated that the US side recognizes Cyprus' right to exploit resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone.
