The unilateral steps of the Greek part of Cyprus in the issue of marine jurisdiction are unacceptable for Turkey.
About this, the official representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Ondig Khechely, commenting on the decision of the Council of Ministers of the Greek part of Cyprus to adopt “National Marine Spatial Planning” on December 20, 2023.
The representative of the department noted that in this form this document, which should be based on the EU directive and prepared by all participating countries, violates both Turkey’s rights and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRSK).
KECHELI recalled that the borders of the Turkish continental shelf in the Mediterranean Sea were recorded by the UN, since 2004, and the last time in 2020.
from the very beginning it was stated that the unilateral actions of the Cyprus-Greek administration of the Southern Cyprus in relation to the regions of marine jurisdiction will not be adopted, and Turkey’s steps in this area correspond to this framework, ”said the diplomat.
The attempt of the Cyprus-Greek side to abuse the EU directive for marine territorial planning is the next round of futile efforts, he said.
Turkey has legal rights and jurisdiction in the west of the island of Cyprus, and the Turkish -kypriots have legal rights in areas around the island, the diplomat noted.
Kecheli emphasized that the illegal initiatives of the Greek part of the Cyprus, which are greedy, divorced from reality and have no legal force, undermine efforts to achieve a comprehensive, fair and sustainable solution of the Cyprus problem.
“Turkish expectations from the third parties, including the European Union, have not changed. The negative impact of naval jurisdictions and related questions on Cyprus settlement should not be ignored,” continued the representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Ankara expects that the Greek part of Cyprus will be encouraged to cooperate with TRK, admitting that the solution of the Cyprus problem can be possible only on the basis of realities on the island, instead of trying to dictate its rules in the region, he concluded.