Cyprus has strongly protested to the UN Secretary General recent violations of the international air traffic regulations and the national airspace of the Republic by military aircraft of the Turkish Air Force.

The violations were recorded between 4 December 2006 and 31 January 2007.
In a letter addressed to UN SG Ban Ki-moon, Charge d'affaires Andreas Hadjichrysanthou outlines the incidents of violations by the Turkish military, noting that such action continues to gravely jeopardize flight safety and perpetuates insecurity and apprehension on the island.

"On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, I would like to strongly protest over the aforementioned violations and hereby appeal for their immediate cessation. Turkey's policy of non-observance of rules and regulations governing international aviation continues to gravely jeopardize flight safety and perpetuates insecurity and apprehension on the island", said Hadjichrysanthou.

He also pointed out that "such provocative and irresponsible actions can be explained only by the well known Turkish practice of politically exploiting any possible opportunity in order to promote Turkey's constant objectives of undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, and of upgrading the status of the legally invalid ''Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus'''.

"It is high time for Turkey to realize that such irresponsible behaviour has no other effect than to negatively affect the good political climate that is necessary for the implementation of the 8 July 2006 agreement", the Cypriot charge d'affaires concluded.

The letter circulated as an official UN document. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island's northern third. Ankara does not recognise the legal government of the Republic of Cyprus.

Source: Athens News Agency

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