The Republic of Cyprus has reported a total of 659 violations by Turkish air and naval forces during June and July 2026 in a letter dated 29 September 2026 from its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Maria Michail, addressed to the UN Secretary-General.
The letter, bearing a distribution date of 2 October 2026 as a document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, records 626 air and 33 naval violations. The reported incidents concern violations of Cyprus’ national airspace, infringements of international air traffic regulations in the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR), violations of the Republic’s territorial waters, and the illegal use of closed ports and airports of Cyprus.
According to the letter and its four annexes, of the 626 air violations recorded, 203 were conducted by Turkish military unmanned aerial vehicles, while 192 involved Turkish armed military fighter aircraft.
Cyprus also reports that Turkey conducted unauthorized military exercises in violation of the Republic of Cyprus’ national airspace, for which it illegally issued one notice to airmen.
The annexes document violations involving Turkish F-16 fighter aircraft, BAYRAKTAR TB-2, ANKA, AKINCI and AKSUNGUR military unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as military helicopters and other aircraft. According to the letter, these aircraft entered the Nicosia FIR and the national airspace of the Republic of Cyprus without diplomatic permits or contacting Nicosia ACC.
The documented naval violations involved Turkish warships, including fast attack craft missile boats, frigates, submarines, landing ships and offshore patrol vessels. According to the letter, these vessels violated the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus and illegally used the closed ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia while participating in naval operations of the occupation forces.
Ambassador Michail emphasized that, beyond the documented violations, “the Turkish occupation forces continue, on a daily basis, to violate the military status quo on the island, while steadily reinforcing their military presence and expanding military infrastructure in the Turkish-occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus.”
“These unlawful actions are not isolated incidents,” she stated, adding that “they constitute further manifestations of Turkey’s continuing disregard of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus and are contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”
The Cypriot Permanent Representative further stressed that “the continued violations and the persistent aggressive conduct of the occupying Power clearly undermine efforts to foster the conditions of trust necessary for the resumption of meaningful negotiations towards a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem” and, at the same time, “increase the sense of insecurity of all Cypriots.”
Concluding, she stressed that “the Government of Cyprus reiterates its full commitment to supporting your efforts, and those of your Personal Envoy, towards the resumption of negotiations and the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement that will reunify the country and its people, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”