Azernews.Az

Turkey stopped cooperation with the Italian Eni company because of its partnership with Cyprus in the field of hydrocarbon exploration in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, Anadolu Agency quoted Turkish energy minister Taner Yildiz as saying on Wednesday.

"Turkey has decided to freeze Eni company's all projects in the country and stop cooperation with it," Yildiz said.

Construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline is planned in the territory of Turkey between Black Sea coast in the region of Samsun and the Mediterranean coast in Ceyhan. It will enable to transport crude from Russia and Kazakhstan bypassing the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.

Yildiz also stressed that, in particular, the company will be excluded from participation in the construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline, in which Eni cooperates with Turkey's Çalık Holding.

Earlier Ankara has repeatedly warned Eni about possibility of stopping cooperation with it, if it does not interrupt the work with Cyprus in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ankara believes that holding such operations in a special economic zone is contrary to international law.

After Nicosia started working to develop the shelf off the coast of the island divided into Greek and Turkish parts in September 2011, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara along with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will begin exploring oil and gas in a special economic zone of Northern Cyprus.

Turkey has repeatedly expressed its strong protest against operations, demanding the cancellation of plans to develop hydrocarbons by Cyprus.

Ankara does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, maintaining relations only with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. A corps of Turkish troops has been there since 1974.