We are all witnessing a Turkish policy which is burdening the tense situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cypriot Government Spokesman Kyriacos Kousios told Cypriot News Agency, noting that Ankara is behaving like the hell that it was in its past, even in the Eastern Mediterranean, without even respecting the difficult times that states are going through with coronavirus.
"This policy is not only continuing but it is also intensifying at a time when the whole world is facing the coronavirus pandemic and all states are making efforts to protect the health and safety of their citizens," Kousios said to a comment about Turkey's illegal gas drilling using the "Yavuz" floating rig in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone.
He added that "Turkey is pursuing the policy of gunboats, behaving like pirates of the Eastern Mediterranean, violating the principles of international law and interfering in the sovereign rights of third countries, including Cyprus."
"We are all witnessing a policy that is straining the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and this policy is not only continuing but intensifying at a time when the whole world is facing the coronavirus pandemic," the spokesman noted.
He added that Turkey's policy ignores even the pandemic and does not respect even the difficult times that states are going through.
The map below shows the Exclusive Economic Zone for each country in the Eastern Mediterranean in accordance to the United Nations Charter Law of the Sea.
Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone is rich in oil and gas, and it is for this reason that Turkey attempts to illegal drill resources from Cypriot maritime space.
Turkey is the only country in the world that does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, and instead, once again, is the only country that recognises the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" that has been deemed an illegal entity as recognised by United Nations Security Council Resolution 541 and UN Security Council Resolution 550.
As Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, it believes it can steal its resources at liberty. It is little wonder why Turkey is only one of 15 countries in the whole world who does not recognise the United Nations Charter Law of the Sea and uses the quasi and illegal statelet in occupied northern Cyprus to justify its piracy.
