Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcement on Turkey’s continuing illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean (9 July 2019)

We condemn Turkey’s illegal attempt to drill within the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus.

This illegal action shows blatant disregard for International Law, the Law of the Sea and the condemnation of the international community and it constitutes further escalation that undermines the stability and security of the Eastern Mediterranean region.

This provocative conduct on the part of Turkey at the expense of the sovereign rights of an EU member state, is a far cry from the conduct expected of a candidate for EU membership and lends further credence to the 20 June decision taken by the European Council regarding appropriate measures to be taken against Turkey.

We express our full solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus and once again call on Turkey to immediately desist from its illegal activities and respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Cyprus.