Cyprus Says Oil Dispute Harming Peace Talks

Cyprus has accused its northern neighbour of harassing research vessels on four occasions.

Cyprus said on Wednesday peace talks on the ethnically divided island could be at risk in a dispute with Turkey over oil exploration in the Mediterranean.

Cyprus has accused its northern neighbour of harassing research vessels on four occasions since Nov. 13 in areas it has earmarked for future hydrocarbon exploration.

Turkey has said the ships, on two previously known occasions, were on its continental shelf. (Were in its territorial waters)

"The continuation of these incidents, I am sad to observe, unavoidably impacts negatively on our efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the Cyprus problem," Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon released on Wednesday. It was the second protest letter in 10 days.

About 70 km of sea separates Cyprus from Turkey and the research is being carried out off the island's southern coast. The dispute highlights the unresolved conflict on the island, split between ethnic Greeks and Turks.

Cyprus's Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have lived estranged since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. Christofias represents the Greek Cypriot community in reunification talks started with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in September.

Greek Cypriots represent Cyprus in the European Union, where they have veto rights over the aspirations of Ankara to join the bloc.

Turkey's progress has already been hobbled by the stalemate on the island, with its entry negotiations partially frozen over the failure to normalise relations with Greek Cypriots.

Ankara supports a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in northern Cyprus, where it has some 30,000 troops.

In the protest letter Christofias said ships carrying out oceanographic work were harassed by Turkish warships.

Greek Cypriots angered Turkey last year by charting 11 offshore blocks south of the island, offering them to companies for exploration. It is now negotiating rights with three companies for exploration permits in three blocks.