March 29, 2024

Letter dated 25 May 2007 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (A/61/931–S/2007/317)

United Nations

A/61/931–S/2007/317

  General Assembly

Security Council

Distr.: General

29 May 2007

Original: English


 


General Assembly                                                           Security Council
Sixty-first session                                                         
    Sixty-second year
Agenda item 19
Question of Cyprus

Letter dated 25 May 2007 from the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I would like to bring to your attention recent violations of international aviation regulations and of the national airspace of Cyprus by the Turkish air force. In an incident that went even beyond the perturbing pattern of the ongoing, constant and intentional violations of the Nicosia Flight Information Region and the sovereign airspace of Cyprus, the Turkish navy and air force carried out, between 2 and 5 May 2007, a military exercise using live ammunition in the areas adjacent to the southern territorial waters of Cyprus. The said exercise was carried out without prior sharing of any information or coordination to this effect.

In addition to the underlying philosophy of intimidation and political provocation, such violations of air traffic regulations by Turkey , pose a threat to civil aviation whereas the participation of war crafts in such proximity to the territorial waters of a port State poses a threat to the safety of navigation.

Without doubting the right of a sovereignty State to conduct military exercises, it is unknown practice to us that a country should choose an area unrelated to its geography and interests to carry out such exercises. In either case, if a country whose waters border only Cyprus northern waters is found to be carrying out military exercises just outside Cyprus southern territorial waters without prior notification, would one be at fault in interpreting such action as hostile?

My Government is left with the issue of exploitation of natural resources as the only possible explanation for the intensification of provocations of this kind by the Turkish military forces. I should like to record these with you and the Security Council, to be added to the ample evidence of Charter violations by a Member of the United Nations, and deterioration of regional security in the Eastern Mediterranean .

I would be grateful if the present letter was circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 19, and of the Security Council.

 

 

( Signed ) Andreas D. Mavroyiannis