Cyprus protests airspace violations

CYPRUS has strongly protested to the United Nations against violations of its airspace and of the Nicosia FIR (flight information region) by Turkish warplanes this month.

In a letter to UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan, Cyprus Chargé d’affaires James Droushiotis said, “These new, provocative acts by Turkey demonstrate its blatant disregard of international law, the UN Charter” and all relevant UN resolutions on the Cyprus question.

He noted the violations were “not conducive to reducing tension, and run counter to the initiative of the Secretary-general,” as announced last September, which aimed to reduce tension and promote progress towards a Cyprus settlement.

Droushiotis’ letter, which was circulated as a UN document, called the “unauthorised Turkish intrusions” violations of international air traffic rules that simultaneously breach provisions of the UN Security Council.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.