Cyprus’ Government warned on Tuesday against any attempts to undermine its sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, amid reports of a potential maritime agreement between Turkey and Syria. As Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis told CNA, such actions would violate international law and prompt Cyprus to respond with all available measures.

“Any attempt to challenge, influence, or disregard the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus constitutes a violation of international law. The Republic of Cyprus will take all available measures at international and European levels to defend its rights,” Letymbiotis told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

The Spokesperson stressed that any agreement between Turkey and Syria regarding maritime zones must comply with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and respect Cyprus’ rights in the region.

He noted that Cyprus was closely monitoring the situation and has been assessing developments since the first reports.

He added that President Nikos Christodoulides, working in coordination with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has already briefed European Union leaders about the potential Turkish maneuvers, securing their support.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Ankara did not pursue an agreement with Nicosia on the delimitation of their maritime boundaries and sent on several occasions, in the past, its seismic research vessel “Barbaros” to Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), following the Republic of Cyprus’ decision, in 2011, to start exploratory offshore drilling. After May 2019, two Turkish drill ships, “Fatih” and “Yavuz”, conducted unauthorised hydrocarbon drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, at times in areas licensed by Cyprus to international energy companies. A third ship, “Kanuni”, was eventually sent to the Black Sea.

The Republic of Cyprus has so far concluded agreements on the delimitation of its ΕΕΖ on the basis of the median-line principle with Egypt and Israel, while the ratification of a similar agreement with Lebanon is pending. In those parts of Cyprus’ maritime boundaries where no delimitation agreements have been signed, including with Turkey, Nicosia considers the median-line as the outer limit of its EEZ/ continental shelf.

Source: Parikiaki.com