Cyprus protests to the UN about Turkish military exercise

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

United Nations (CNA) -The Republic of Cyprus’ Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis, protested in a letter to the UN Secretary General about the military exercise, conducted illegally by the Turkish forces south of Cyprus using sea and air means, between 2 and 5 May, 2007.

Turkey’s military exercise violated the rules and regulations of the Air Traffic Control. Moreover, the Turkish army did not inform the competent Cyprus Republic’s authorities about its intentions to conduct the exercise, Mavroyiannis says in his letter.

“The exercise falls within the Turkish tactic to create a climate of tension in the region”, Mavroyiannis indicates in his letter, stressing that the exercise, which was conducted very near the Republic’s airports and ports, endangered the safety of the passengers.

“The government of Cyprus deems that the continuous provocative Turkish actions and the military exercise that was conducted recently, seek to exert pressure” Mavroyiannis notes, adding that the Turkish actions aim at questioning the legal rights of the Republic of Cyprus to exploit its natural resources.

The Cypriot UN Permanent Representative also refers to the violations of the UN Charta by Turkey, a member of the international organization, adding that such actions jeopardize the regional safety in the Eastern Mediterranean.