Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis has strongly protested, on behalf of the Government, “the continuing violations of the national airspace and territorial waters of Cyprus by Turkey, as well as the infringements by the latter of international air traffic regulations, and appeal for their immediate cessation.”
In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Mavroyianis says “the Republic of Cyprus reiterates its call to respect Security Council resolutions and adhere to the principles of sovereignty and non-interference enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.”
The letter is dated October 11, 2019 and circulated as an official document of the UN General Assembly last Friday.
Mavroyiannis encloses four separate annexes recording the violations of Cyprus’ national airspace, the infringements of international air traffic regulations in Cyprus’ Nicosia Flight Information Region, and the illegal use of closed ports and airports in Cyprus, by Turkey, during the months of July and August 2019.
“Turkey continues to systematically harass civilian and military aircrafts within the Nicosia Flight Information Region via radio calls while, during the same period, the regime installed by the occupying power in the area of Cyprus that it occupies, has illegally issued three notices to airmen relating to exercises conducted by the Turkish Air Force. Additionally, Turkish commercial aircrafts systematically use the Tymbou airport, which continues to operate illegally following the closure, by the Cyprus Government, of all ports of entry in the areas where it does not exercise effective control,” he says.
Mavroyiannis points out that “this pattern of behaviour constitutes a serious concern for the Republic of Cyprus and is a continuous violation of its sovereignty and adds to the catastrophic repercussions of the invasion and ongoing occupation of part of its territory by Turkey.”
“Furthermore, the persistent policy of violating the Charter of the United Nations and international law and breaching international rules and regulations is a constant threat to international peace and security, negatively impacts regional stability, jeopardizes the safety of international civil aviation and creates difficulties for air traffic over Cyprus, and prevents the creation of an enabling environment in which to conduct the Cyprus peace process,” Mavroyiannis says.
He points out that “the said actions of Turkey, which continues to occupy the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974, clearly aim at undermining Cyprus’ sovereignty, consolidating the ongoing de facto division, and upgrading the secessionist entity’s status by claiming a purported airspace over the occupied territory of the Republic.”
“In this respect, I would like to underline that there is only one Cypriot State, which is the Republic of Cyprus, as stipulated also in various Security Council resolutions, particularly resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), which have declared legally invalid the purported secession of part of Cyprus,” he notes.
Mavroyiannis urges “Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot community to contribute to a meaningful resumption of the peace process, instead of focusing on undermining the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and promoting Cyprus’ partition through the creation of facts on the ground and the consolidation of the status quo, including by seeking to politically upgrade the secessionist entity.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
(Cyprus News Agency)
