Keceli stated: “Since 2003, the Southern Cyprus Rum Administration has continued to sign bilateral agreements with countries in the region to demarcate the maritime zones surrounding the island, without any consideration for the Turkish Cypriots, who are a party with equal sovereignty over Cyprus.”
He clarified that “the area covered by the agreement is outside the Turkish continental shelf in the eastern Mediterranean, which Ankara officially registered with the United Nations on March 18, 2020,” stressing that his country “addresses this issue from the angle of the Cyprus issue and the rights of Turkish Cypriots.”
He also affirmed that “the اقدام of Lebanon or any other coastal country in the region to sign such agreements with the Southern Cyprus Rum Administration directly affects the equal rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots on the island.”
The spokesperson added: “The Southern Cyprus Rum Administration does not represent the Turkish Cypriots, nor does it represent the entire island, and it does not have any authority to take unilateral steps related to the island as a whole.”
Keceli called on the international community, especially the countries of the region, to “not support these unilateral measures, and not participate in attempts to seize the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots, who constitute an equal part in the sovereignty of the island.”
He concluded his statements by emphasizing that “Turkey, in cooperation with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, will continue to firmly defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots.”
