Cyprus said Friday that it will not bring the oil exploration dispute with Turkey to the UN Security Council at the moment.
Government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis made the statement in an apparent response to a U.S. call for refraining from actions that might further raise the tension.
Pashiardis, however, accused Turkey of acting like “a pirate of the east Mediterranean” in an
attempt to crush Cyprus' oil exploration plan.
The spokesman had told reporters on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting that Cyprus government were proceeding within the day to report Turkey's "provocative stance" both to the UN and the EU.
Earlier, Turkey issued a harsh warning to Lebanon and Egypt and urged them not to press ahead with the deals they signed with Nicosia on oil and natural gas exploration in their exclusive economic zones.
On Thursday, the United States urged both Turkey and Cyprus to keep restraint following reports saying Turkey dispatched warships towards Cyprus over the dispute of undersea oil rights.
"What we would urge is that the parties refrain from any actions that might be misinterpreted on the other side; that there be full transparency so you don't have any misunderstandings that might result in mishaps," U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told a news briefing.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup by a group of Greek military officers.
Turkey has no diplomatic relations with the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, but recognized alone the Turkish- Cypriot dominated northern Cyprus.
(Xinhua News Agency, 02/02/2007)