No navtex has been cancelled, spokesman says

No navigational warning, issued by Cyprus, has been cancelled, government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Thursday, as Ankara issued one disputing the Republic’s rights.

A navtex, which Ankara has issued, Prodromou said, is contrary to existing international rules and regulations governing shipping and aims at specific activities in Cyprus’ maritime area.

The Republic’s services are doing what needs to be done, taking all measures, he added.

“It is one thing to talk about illegal moves – and when these occur we take measures – and it is another matter to see Turkish moves, which do not comply with international norms, when it comes to shipping,” he said.

Earlier on, commander of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Commodore Costas Fitiris, told CNA that Turkey issued a counter-navtex in response to one issued by the Republic for a Cypriot naval exercise west of Paphos, in international and territorial waters.

“Our area of responsibility is based on international regulations and international law,” he said, and extends from the sea area of Paphos to Kyrenia and Apostolos Andrea and this is internationally recognized.

For this reason, said Fitiris, all countries holding exercises or other activities around Cyprus should consult with the government’s departments.

“For obvious reasons, Turkey, in violation of international law and regulations of international organisations, tries with illegal and provocative warnings and actions to take over the jurisdiction of the issuance of navtex in areas under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus “.

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.