Turkey’s continuing provocative and illegal actions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus are incompatible with its European path as a candidate for EU membership.

Turkey’s continuing provocative and illegal actions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus are incompatible with its European path as a candidate for EU membership. We call on Turkey to fully respect the obligations deriving from its status as a candidate EU member state and thus terminate all provocations and escalating actions against the Republic of Cyprus. International law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the values and principles upon which the EU was founded must be fully respected. Turkey ought to acknowledge and respect the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and the latter’s right to explore and exploit its natural resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and immediately end its blockage, avoid threats and actions against Cyprus and commit to good neighbourly relations.

With such aggressive actions, Turkey sustains a climate of mistrust and hostility, which only reinforces doubts as to Turkey’s sincerity and political will towards the Republic of Cyprus and the EU. Further, such actions go against any efforts towards reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem and complicate future prospects to that end.

ECR Cypriot MEP Eleni Theocharous has called on Turkey to immediately terminate its aggressive, illegal actions in the Cypriot EEZ and begin its path to recognise the unitary state of the Republic of Cyprus as clearly stated by the EU Declaration of September 21st, 2005.