NICOSIA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union summit in Brussels has unanimously decided to condemn actions by Turkey aimed at the European Union (EU) member-state Cyprus in a standoff over the exploration of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean, Cypriot government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Friday.
Prodromou told state radio that the decision was in a draft joint statement approved by EU leaders at a dinner on Thursday night, which will be released at the end of the EU summit on Friday.
According to an extract from the draft joint statement, the EU summit "urgently calls on Turkey to cease these actions and respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus to explore and exploit its natural resources in accordance with European Union law and international law."
A drillship charged by Italian state-controlled ENI company was prevented in February by Turkish warships ostensibly on sea maneuvers from proceeding to a drilling target between the south-eastern shores of Cyprus and Lebanon.
Turkey objects to natural gas drilling by Cyprus, claiming that it violates either its own rights or the rights of Turkish Cypriots over Cypriot natural resources.
Prodromou said that the EU's positions will be relayed by EU leaders to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at a meeting scheduled for Monday in Varna, Bulgaria, which holds the current six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
