PM: Eroglu's plan avoids Cyprus crisis

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again urged Greek Cypriots yesterday to accept the Turkish Cypriot administration's proposal to end the ongoing oil exploration crisis in eastern Mediterranean. "This constructive and fair proposal is a good opportunity for averting the crisis. If this good-intended effort will be negated, then everybody should be aware that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots will not permit such fait accompli," Erdogan said in his address to the nation yesterday. The proposal Erdogan referred to was submitted by Turkish Cypriot President Dervis Eroglu to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week in New York. It suggested the establishment of an ad-hoc committee under U.N. auspices that would supervise oil and gas exploration offshore Cyprus and transfer any revenues to an independent commission to distribute between the two communities on the island.