CNA – Apostolis Zoupaniotis – United Nations, New York 19/2/2016 20:58
The Republic of Cyprus has protested to the UN Secretary General the systematic violations of its national airspace and territorial waters by Turkey, in two letters dated January 21st and February 5th, 2016 which circulated today as official documents of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.
The letters are signed by Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Nicholas Emiliou and they include annexes with all Turkish military airplanes’ violations that have taken place in the months of December 2015 and January 2016. In Addition, the letter sent in February includes a list with all Turkish naval ships that used illegally the Turkish occupied port of Famagusta.
“The actions by Turkey are clearly aimed at undermining the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, bolstering the continuing de facto division and upgrading the secessionist entity’s status by claiming a purported airspace over the occupied territory of the Republic”, states Ambassador Emiliou.
In addition, he points out that Turkey continues to systematically harass civilian and military aircraft within Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR) via radio calls, noting that the infringements of Nicosia FIR and the violations of the national airspace of the Republic of Cyprus continue unabated.
“Turkey’s policy of persistently breaching international law and defying international rules and regulations puts the safety of international civil aviation at risk, has a negative impact on the stability of the region and causes difficulties for air traffic over Cyprus”, Emiliou says in his letter to Ban Ki Moon.
Ambassador Emiliou strongly protests on behalf of the Cypriot government the continuing infringements of international air traffic regulations and the violations of the national airspace and the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey and appeals for their immediate cessation.
“The Republic of Cyprus reiterates, in this respect, its call for adherence to the principle of sovereignty and non-interference enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations”, the letters say.
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