The navigational telex or navtex issued by Turkey with regard to Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone is not valid and has been already annulled, Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides has said.
Replying on Thursday to questions regarding Ankara’s actions in the region, Christodoulides said that “continuing with our energy designs is the best response to Turkey”. He added that the results of an ongoing offshore drilling by ENI – Total are expected soon.
According to Christodoulides, Turkey is just applying its usual tactics, either through public statements or through actions, such as issuing the navtex.
“For us, these navtex, these navigational telexes do not exist. They have already been annulled and no one is taking them into account and nobody ascribes any legitimacy to them” he said.
Christodoulides underlined that Nicosia’s response to Turkey is the continuation of its energy designs. He pointed to an ongoing offshore drilling and expressed hope that the final results will be announced soon.
Asked if the announcement may fall in between the two rounds of presidential elections, to be held on January 28 and February 4, he said that this is up to the company that is doing the drilling.
ENI and Total cooperate in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone block 6, where they are currently drilling a target, dubbed “Kalypso”.
The Government Spokesman was also asked about a recent attack against the Turkish Cypriot newspaper “Afrika” and the way the government is handling the issue.
Christodoulides expressed concern over the latest developments and said that “we are monitoring and evaluating them on a daily basis and on various levels”.
He noted that the government’s reaction has been conveyed to the European Union, both the European Commission and the Council.
He also said that the first draft of Turkey’s progress report is expected in April and noted that Nicosia has managed in the past few years to highlight in the report Ankara’s responsibilities vis-à-vis Cyprus’ Turkish-occupied areas.
He said that all these efforts will continue and pointed to the informal European Summit, in February, noting that the President is expected to raise this issue again.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
Turkish Cypriot daily newspaper “Afrika” came under attack on Monday, after publishing on its front page an article under a title referring to “yet another invasion” by Turkey, following its assault on Afrin, Syria. The allusion was the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, which Ankara describes as “peace operation.”
