The Greek Cypriot Administration has been concluding bilateral agreements with the coastal states in the region regarding the delimitation of the maritime jurisdiction areas around the Island of Cyprus since 2003, in disregard of the Turkish Cypriots who are sovereign equals on the Island.

Most recently, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Delimitation Agreement, which had been signed between Lebanon and the Greek Cypriot Administration in 2007 but had not entered into force, was re-signed yesterday (26 November).

Even though the area subject to the said agreement lies outside the Turkish continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, which Türkiye registered with the UN on 18 March 2020, Türkiye approaches the issue in the context of the Cyprus issue and the rights of the Turkish Cypriots.

The signing of such an agreement by Lebanon or other coastal states in the region with the Greek Cypriot Administration directly concerns the equal rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots on the Island.

We would like to reiterate that the Greek Cypriot Administration neither represents the Turkish Cypriots nor the Island as a whole and that it does not have the authority to undertake such steps on behalf of the entire Island.

We call upon the international community, in particular the regional countries, not to back these unilateral actions of the Greek Cypriot Administration and not to lend support to attempts to usurp the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots, who are sovereign equals on the Island.

Türkiye, together with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, will continue to resolutely defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots.