CYPRUS: UN protest against Turkey’s harassment of Cypriot-flagged fishing boats

Nicosia has protested to the UN Secretary General over provocative acts by Turkey against fishing vessels flying the Cyprus flag within the island’s maritime zones and on the high seas.

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In a letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres, the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou details incidents that took place in August and September, where Turkish patrol vessels harassed fishing vessels under the flag of Cyprus from carrying out scheduled fishing activities.

In the second incident, the Turkish navy vessels attempted to board the boat with a view to inspecting it, while fishing on the high seas.

On 21 September Turkish navy ships intercepted and arrested a fishing vessel, flying the flag of Cyprus, within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Cyprus at a distance of 7.5 nautical miles from Cape Kormakitis, situated on the northern coast. The vessel and the Egyptian crew were illegally detained by Turkish forces and released on September 29.

“The Government of the Republic of Cyprus kindly requests your assistance in conveying a strong message to Ankara to the effect that the Republic of Turkey must comply with international law, namely that it must observe the customary principle of the freedom of the high seas, including the freedom of fishing therein,” said the protest letter.

“Furthermore, Turkey is under an obligation to refrain from acts exacerbating tension in the area and to respect the exclusive jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus over vessels flying the latter’s flag and its authority to regulate fishing activities within its territorial sea,” it added.

Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974 and since then occupies 37% of the island`s territory in the north.

An illegal regime declared independence unilaterally, on November 15, 1983, in the areas of the Republic of Cyprus under Turkish occupation. This action has been condemned by the UN Security Council and the international community as legally null and void.