Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on reports of exploration and drilling vessels entering the Cyprus exclusive economic zone.

The then Minister of State for Europe and the Americas spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusolgu on 9 July to reiterate the United Kingdom's opposition to Turkish drilling plans in the waters around Cyprus and encourage de-escalation. We continue to support the Republic of Cyprus's right to exploit the oil and gas in its internationally agreed Exclusive Economic Zone.