The island of Cyprus is divided into a Turkish and a Greek part. This could make it more difficult to combat the oil spill.
Nicosia – A huge oil spill is currently drifting east of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is moving westwards and could reach the coast in the northeast of the holiday island near the Karpasia (Turkish: Dipkarpaz) headland within hours.
The Cypriot minister responsible for the environment, Kostas Kadis, announced on Tuesday on Cypriot radio. Countries like Greece are ready to help protect the coast of Cyprus from pollution. The oil leaked into the sea from a Syrian power company about a week ago, Kadis said.
A geopolitical problem makes preparations difficult: Cyprus is divided into a Turkish-Cypriot north occupied by Turkish troops and the predominantly Greek-Cypriot-led Republic of Cyprus in the south. The Karpasia headland is located in the Turkish Cypriot north. The cooperation between the two parts of the island is minimal. dpa
