The letter, which was sent by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations, Ambassador Maria Michael, and which denounces the numerous military violations by the occupying forces of Turkey in Cyprus that aim to create new fait accompli and undermine the attempts to restart negotiations on the Cyprus issue, aims to capture the situation in relation to this issue.

According to ERT, it is not the first time that a complaint letter about this issue has been sent from the Cypriot side to the UN, as Nicosia considers the matter extremely important and serious.

Indicative of this is the content of the letter, which records a total of 2,120 air violations and 137 violations of maritime rules, actions that include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and Turkish military exercises, which violate the sovereignty of Cyprus as well as international aviation regulations.

The numerous military violations by the Turkish occupation forces are aimed at creating new fait accompli and undermining both the people’s sense of security as well as efforts to restart negotiations. These actions reveal Ankara’s intentions to perpetuate its occupation and pose serious risks not only to the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Cyprus but also to the security and stability of the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, the letter said.

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Mrs. Michael states in her letter that this year marks 50 years since the illegal occupation of 37% of Cyprus by Turkey, with its aggressive actions continuing to destabilize Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, and underlines the need for the United Nations to abide by their resolutions to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus. Instead of contributing to a solution, as the invading and occupying power, Turkey is intensifying its efforts to impose a “two-state solution” on the island.

Taking a selective approach to Security Council resolutions, Turkey labels them obsolete when they don’t match its will and calls on the international community to “face the realities on the ground,” trying to convince it that the result of its aggression has legitimate results,” the letter states.

In another part of the letter, it is underlined that Turkey’s aggressive actions and rhetoric are a destabilizing factor both in Cyprus and in the wider region, but also that the continuous violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus, and consequently of the United Nations Charter, demonstrates Turkey’s flagrant disregard for international law.

Mrs. Michael emphasizes that it is necessary for the United Nations to show that there are no double standards in the implementation of the Charter. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of states under attack must be protected, she says, regardless of the origin of the attacks or how much time has passed, adding that this is undoubtedly true in the case of Cyprus, where the problem remains: the military invasion and continued unlawful occupation.

The situation created by Turkey in Cyprus, through the use of force and continued violations of human rights and international legality, reflects the actual “conditions on the ground”: that is, violations of the Charter and Security Council resolutions have become the rule. 

For this reason, the Security Council must support and rationalize its resolutions. Otherwise, the credibility of the international system is seriously undermined, says Ms. Michael in her letter to the UN Secretary-General.

Also read: Mapping of Occupation Forces | The Offensive Positions, the Armaments and the Turkish Claims in Cyprus – INTERACTIVE MAP and Photos