LATEST: New Rules of Engagement for Turkish Navy Amid Oil Crisis with Greek Cyprus

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has claimed responsibility for Friday’s killing of a man in Cizre in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border.

Abdullah Budak, 22, was killed by the PKK-affiliated Patriotic Youth Movement (YDG-H), who distributed pamphlets throughout Cizre taking credit.

The YDG-H claimed that Budak, a relative of former Cizre Mayor Aydin Budak, worked for the Turkish Government. They said they will continue to attack government employees and institutions until “all agents are cleansed from Kurdistan”:

Abdullah Budak was punished with death on Nov. 7, 2014 by us after he was determined to have been serving as an agent. He had confirmed that he was an agent and had confessed to his past deeds during his earlier questioning. On this basis, we expect our people to show a radical stance against all agents.

Two weeks ago,the YDG-H declared autonomy in several areas of Cizre, holding a military-style parade through the town on October 25. The group warned that Turkish soldiers and police would no longer be allowed in the city’s Sur, Nur, and Cudi neighborhoods.

New Rules of Engagement for Turkish Navy Amid Oil Crisis with Greek Cyprus

Responding to licenses issued for oil and natural gas discovery by Greek Cyprus, the Turkish Navy is increasing their “situational awareness” and surveillance missions throughout the eastern Mediterranean.

Admiral Bulent Bostanoglu, the commander of the Turkish Navy, said:

The Prime Ministry handed over the rules of engagement to the Chief of General Staff and the Chief of Staff handed them over to the Naval Forces Command. We will act in line with these rules of engagement in the event we face a situation over this issue.

The Turkish Naval Forces is providing support and close protection to the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Research Vessel….It continues to keep the drill ship hired by the Greek Cypriot administration under surveillance from nine kilometers’ distance.

The order given to us for the moment is not to enter into this nine-kilometer area. That’s why no incident of harassment or disturbance has occurred.

The Turkish government has condemned the Greek Cypriot gas discovery operation as a breach of ongoing peace negotiations. Ankara has sent one of its own exploration vessels, accompanied by a warship, into the Mediterranean.

The increased surveillance of foreign vessels undertaking oil exploration activities includes not only Greek Cypriot ships, but also Greek and Israeli warships.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades responded that Turkey’s provocation presents a major roadblock to ongoing negotiations.

Turkey’s provocative actions do not just compromise the peace talks, but also affect security in the eastern Mediterranean region. For the [Cyprus peace] negotiations to succeed, Turkey needs to show a positive intention and adopt a constructive stance through positive and effective steps in this direction.