Turkey on Thursday strongly rejected the newly signed maritime demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Cyprus, arguing that the deal ignores the rights of Turkish Cypriots and therefore cannot be accepted.
Limassol, Cyprus © Mena Today
Turkey on Thursday strongly rejected the newly signed maritime demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Cyprus, arguing that the deal ignores the rights of Turkish Cypriots and therefore cannot be accepted.
Lebanon and Cyprus signed the long-delayed accord on Wednesday to advance offshore gas exploration and boost Mediterranean energy cooperation. But Ankara, which does not recognise the Greek Cypriot government, said the agreement was legally and politically flawed.
“It is not possible for us to accept any agreement that disregards the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” the Turkish Defence Ministry said, adding that the accord was also “against the interests of the Lebanese people.” Turkey said it had conveyed to Beirut that it was ready to engage in maritime cooperation.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli called the deal another example of Greek Cypriots acting unilaterally and insisted they “are not the sole representatives of the island” and therefore have no authority to take decisions on behalf of all Cypriots.
Ankara urged regional countries and the wider international community not to support what it called unilateral moves that undermine the legitimate rights of Turkish Cypriots—who Ankara recognises as sovereign and politically equal partners on the island.
Cyprus has remained divided since the Turkish intervention of 1974 following a Greek-backed coup. Peace talks collapsed in 2017, and diplomatic efforts have since remained stalled.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan praised Pope Leo's stance on the Palestinian issue after meeting him in Ankara on Thursday, and said he hoped his first overseas visit as Catholic leader will benefit humanity at a time of tension and uncertainty.
Pope Leo lamented that the world was seeing an unusual number of bloody conflicts during his first trip outside Italy as Catholic leader on Thursday, and he warned that a third world war was being "fought piecemeal" with humanity's future at risk.
Venezuela has revoked operating rights for six major international airlines after they suspended flights to the country following a warning from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
