Athens- Cyprus on Monday said it has launched a complaint with the United Nations, after claims that a Turkish warship harassed vessels exploring for oil and gas earlier this month, the Athens News Agency reported.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou said a Norwegian-flagged vessel that was carrying out oil and gas surveys in the eastern Aegean on behalf of the Greek Cypriot government was harassed by Turkish warships. The incident occurred south of Paphos on November 13.

Kyprianou said the ship was forced to cease operations and stop sailing in the territorial waters and economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus due to fears for the lives and safety of its crew.

"These actions are illegal and go against international law and are not going to be accepted by our side," Kyprianou was quoted as saying.

Last year, the Cyprus government offered an exploration contract for eleven blocks south and south-east of the island for hydrocarbon exploration.

The move by Cyprus to tap into potential deepwater reserves in the Mediterranean angered Turkey, with Ankara saying oil and gas exploration could unsettle renewed peace talk efforts aimed at reunifying Cyprus.

A new round of reunification talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots began in September and are expected to continue well into 2009.

Cyprus has been divided into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north after Turkey invaded in 1974 in response to a coup initiated by the military junta then ruling Greece. (dpa)