Greek diplomatic sources have described a Turkish NAVTEX (953/26) announcing illegal surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean in connection with the planned construction of an undersea natural gas pipeline between Turkey and the occupied areas of Cyprus as a provocative unilateral action.
‘Under the international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), unilateral actions aimed at developing energy infrastructure without the consent of the Republic of Cyprus have no legal basis and violate its sovereignty and sovereign rights,’ the sources said.
‘These actions form part of an ongoing effort to consolidate the faits accomplis of the occupation and are manifestly contrary to the rules of international law,’ they added.
‘At a particularly critical juncture for the wider region, such actions heighten tensions, undermine confidence-building efforts and work against regional stability,’ the sources concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.