February 20, 2012 [Famagusta Gazette] - Officials from British Petroleum (BP) and Shell companies have responded to press claims that they are involved in fuel storage facilities planned to be built by Turkish Cypriot authorities near Eptakomi village in Karpass peninsula area.
Robert Wine, BP’s spokesman told Yeni Duzen that his company has no commercial relation with the fuel storage installation to be built in Karpass and with the Rixo International or Rixoh Ltd which undertook the project.
Moreover, an official from Shell, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he did not want to comment on this issue, but Shell Turkey had no relation with Rixoh Ltd.
Yeni Duzen reports that Shell Turkey is expected to issue a statement on this matter within the forthcoming days.
On 5 January 2012, Yeni Duzen had reported on its front page that Shell, BP and Esso companies would come to the occupied area of Cyprus and published a statement by the Turkish Cypriot businessman Mehmet Salih Karalim, partner of Rixoh Ltd who had said that Halis Bektas, owner of Rixo International and big partner of the project, had meetings with companies such as BP, Shell and Esso and that no one of these companies had any reservations for doing business in the occupied area of Cyprus.
